


Waiting for a Different Dawn

by barbitone



Series: Voltron Fanfiction [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Angst, BAMF Shiro (Voltron), Canon-Typical Violence, Champion Shiro (Voltron), Drunken Kissing, Hurt Lotor, Hurt Shiro (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Kissing, M/M, Morally Ambiguous Character, Oral Sex, POV Lotor (Voltron), POV Shiro (Voltron), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rescue Missions, Space Battles, Violence, mention of past dubcon/noncon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-04
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-07-24 21:55:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 61,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16183940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/barbitone/pseuds/barbitone
Summary: Shiro was just a prisoner fighting to stay alive in the arena, all he wanted was to find his friends and go home. But then Prince Lotor inexplicably took an interest in him and he found his life changing drastically, found himself dragged into an adventure he could never have imagined.Canon-divergent AU that will take you through the entirety of the show to date. There will be action, there will be adventure, there will be space battles and copious amounts of gay sex. There will be space malls and drunk makeouts and daring rescues. There will be dramatic reveals and BAMF!Shiro wrecking shit up. There will be morally dubious Lotor and more Commanders than you can shake a stick at.





	1. Part I: Sendak

**Author's Note:**

> This AU has been a long time coming and I hope you all enjoy! I'm not used to doing chaptered fics and there may be some stumbles along the way in that regard so please be patient. (I think you have to tag each chapter separately? Idk we'll find out together) I'm aiming to update at least once per week, though hoping to finish before S8 comes out so may be posting faster. We're looking at a 50k+ fic so strap in for a wild ride ;)
> 
> Thank you to my lovely beta [Lutz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lutz/pseuds/lutz)\- your support is hugely appreciated!
> 
> Comments are great, please leave some <3

* * *

 

The cell door opened. Shiro jerked awake with a startled gasp only to wince and double over at the sharp pain in his side. His last opponent had nearly broken his arm, _had_ broken two of his ribs, at least. Shiro had been hoping they’d give him time to recover, considering, but then again he wasn’t sure why he’d been expecting anything but cruelty from his jailers.

There was only one guard standing in the doorway. Odd, they’d started transporting him in pairs after his second attempt at escape. Shiro frowned. Something was very wrong.

“On your feet, Champion,” the guard said. That was strange too- he didn’t usually receive instructions at a volume lower than a shout.

Shiro stood slowly, keeping his arm wrapped around his ribs. His knees were shaking and he put his other hand out to steady himself against the wall. The guard seemed nervous, checking the hallways periodically and keeping a hand on the blaster holstered at his hip.

“Hurry up,” he said, motioning for Shiro to step out into the hall.

Shiro obeyed, moving as slowly as he thought the guard would let him get away with, playing up the pain in his ribs and trying to seem as harmless as possible. His mind was racing a mile a minute as he walked past the guard, eyes lowered dejectedly to hide his inspection of the Galra’s weapon. Shiro was exhausted and in pain; he wouldn’t stand a chance in a fair fight, wouldn’t be fast enough to run away. But maybe if he had surprise on his side, if he could grab the man’s weapon and knock him out before he could react-

“Faster!” the guard said, shoving him roughly forward.

Shiro bit back a whimper as his ribs screamed out in pain. He fought to keep his balance, his entire body protesting the rough treatment.

“Go!” the guard said, pointing down the hall. Shiro started walking. Based on the way the Galra’s footsteps were echoing through the corridor he was keeping well out of arm’s reach. If Shiro had ever had a chance, he’d just missed it.

Unable to draw a deep breath past the pain, his breathing came quick and labored, the lack of oxygen making him light-headed. Now that he was no longer distracted by plotting his escape he was engulfed in fear. The halls were entirely empty and Shiro guessed it was late, much later than when the gladiator matches were usually held.

Occasionally the guard gave him instructions on where to go and before long Shiro found himself in an unfamiliar part of the ship. The halls were wider here, cleaner and better kept. His heart was pounding in his chest, he could hear the rushing of blood in his ears. Everything about this was totally wrong. Trying to imagine what was waiting for him left him shaking and he forced his mind to stillness instead.

They walked until Shiro was standing in front of a door that was more ornate than what he was used to seeing. The guard accessed a flashing panel next to it and the door opened to reveal luxurious quarters. Oh god. Shiro’s blood ran cold. He prayed this wasn’t what it seemed like, but it seemed like he’d been privately summoned to someone’s bunk in the middle of the night.

“Go,” the guard hissed when Shiro hadn’t moved.

Even knowing the shove was coming, knowing how much it would hurt, Shiro couldn’t bring himself to step over the threshold. The guard forced him forward and the door closed behind him, leaving him suddenly alone.

He was in what looked like a living room. To the side was a minimalistic sitting area composed of a long couch and two lounge chairs arranged around a metal coffee table. Beyond it was a dining table and a few chairs, and past that a wall with large windows looking out into deep space. There were two closed doors leading from the room and Shiro could hear running water behind one of them. He looked around for a weapon but found nothing- the room was bare except for the upscale, but mostly utilitarian, furniture and a few simple wall-hangings.

“It’s about time.”

Shiro turned to see Sendak, his head jailer, coming in from what looked like a bedroom. He wasn’t dressed in his usual armor but in some kind of dark one-sleeved suit that left his artificial arm exposed. Was this what passed for casual wear among the Galra? Shiro wasn’t convinced.

“Here,” Sendak said, tossing a wadded-up piece of black cloth at him. Shiro caught it by pure instinct, not taking his eyes off the Galra Commander. “Wash yourself,” Sendak continued, motioning towards a door, “and then put that on. Hurry up, there isn’t much time.”

Still uncertain, Shiro did as he was told without argument. He walked towards the indicated room and opened the door to see a large bathroom. It was full of steam, the water pouring out of a wide spout inside the round shower cubicle must have been scalding hot. The door closed behind him, giving him some privacy, and Shiro dropped the cloth onto the sink counter before searching the cabinets. There wasn’t so much as a toothbrush to use as a weapon, all the cabinets were either empty or locked.

The mirror caught his eye and Shiro stood, mesmerized as he stared at himself, a stranger looking back. He was thinner than he was used to, his cheeks looked hollow and there were dark circles under his eyes. His hair was longer than he remembered, curling down around his ears, going gray at the temples and hairline. He ran a hand through it slowly, grimacing at the feel of grease and dirt, sand from the arena that had never quite washed away. He could practically hear the seconds ticking past, the only thing he knew for sure was that if he took too long he’d be punished.

Shiro turned away from the mirror to strip off his prison clothes, wincing as pain flared up in his ribs with every movement. His body was a tapestry of bruises and slowly healing cuts. He stepped into the shower as carefully as he could but the hot water stung his skin, making him hiss. Despite it all, it felt like a luxury.

The Galra hosed off their prisoners every week or so, but it was always a perfunctory blast of cold water, more to keep down the stink of blood and sweat than an actual attempt at cleanliness. Shiro allowed himself exactly three seconds to stand and enjoy the warmth, the feeling of being scoured clean, before he started scrubbing in earnest using a small gray brick he took for soap. He paid special attention to his hair, to the still not-quite closed cuts over his torso and upper arms.

He startled at banging on the door, the yelled “hurry up!” from his captor.

Shiro turned off the water and dried his body with a cloth hanging on a hook on the wall. The clothing Sendak had given him was identical to his prison jumpsuit, just clean and dry, unmarked by cuts and burns. He put it on as fast as he could, the cloth catching on still damp skin.

He wished he’d been provided with undergarments, that the cloth of the jumpsuit was thicker, more substantial. Despite covering everything but his face, hands, and feet, Shiro felt exposed in the skin-tight jumpsuit, the fabric thin enough to put his entire body on display. He couldn’t help but feel that was entirely the point and shuddered at the thought of what would come next. His only comfort was that he’d been asked to dress at all- surely if Sendak was planning to-

Shiro shook his head to clear it, the thought too horrifying to contemplate seriously. He had to stay positive, stay sharp. He had to be ready to take advantage of any opportunity that may present itself. Maybe this was a good thing, a change in routine meant vulnerability. Maybe he had a chance.

He left the bathroom only to come face to face with an impatient Sendak in the main room.

“Come here,” Sendak ordered. He was holding something metal and glittering in his hands. Shiro forced his reluctant muscles into action and stepped forward. He didn’t fight back as Sendak fastened thin gold bracelets around his wrists, connected by approximately three feet of delicate-looking matching chain.

“Stay two steps behind me at all times,” Sendak instructed, barely even looking at him. “Keep your mouth shut and don’t do anything to embarrass me.”

Shiro kept his eyes to the ground, mind racing. Clearly they were going somewhere and Sendak was planning on showing him off as- what? A prisoner? A Champion of the arena? A… slave?

He followed, keeping carefully two steps behind, as Sendak left the room. The metal floors of the corridor were like ice under his bare feet but he knew better than to complain. Instead he did his best to commit their path to memory but it was practically impossible. All the corridors looked the same, the location markers written in Galra symbols, which, to Shiro, were too similar to tell apart. They seemed to be moving upwards, maybe towards the command center of the ship.

After an endless series of twists, turns, and elevators, they were standing at a wide set of doors, a pair of guards to either side. The guards opened the doors as they approached and Shiro followed Sendak into a large observation deck full of people.

For all appearances it looked like a cocktail party; Galra sentry robots walked around with platters of drinks and elaborately engineered morsels of food on skewers. The guests were mostly Galra, men and women dressed in militaristic gowns and suits, even their fancy dress clothes glittered with metal scales and armored plates. Slaves dressed much like Shiro drifted along behind their masters, their faces marked with bruises and their eyes cast down in defeat.

The walls were lined with floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out onto a brilliant nebula, blue and red gases twisting together on an unimaginable scale, surrounded by the glittering vista of deep space. For a brief moment Shiro was filled with wonder. It passed when he saw a humanoid slave being backhanded across the face by his Galra master to the laughter of the guests around them.

There was a small crowd gathered at the head of the room, and although Shiro couldn’t quite make out what was beyond it he had a feeling this was why they were here. He stayed behind Sendak as the Galra spoke with the other guests.

Sendak didn’t take any food or drink, all he talked about was combat and military strategy. In a normal situation someone like him would make party guests uncomfortable but here he was fitting in seamlessly. They were drifting towards the front of the room and before long they were in a disorganized receiving line, slowly moving forward.

As they got closer Shiro saw a man standing at the top of a few short steps, greeting and laughing with each guest in turn. He was undoubtedly Galra but there was something very human about him too. He didn’t have fur or glowing yellow eyes or the hulking build of other Galra. He was tall and slender with long white hair cascading down his back, pointed ears like an elf out of a fantasy novel. He was flanked by four women dressed in full armor who were looking wearily at the crowd. They all seemed odd in their own ways, clearly not full Galra and yet receiving begrudging respect from those around them. It was the first time Shiro had seen a Galra with bodyguards. Even Sendak, the captain of the ship, travelled without them.

“Prince Lotor,” Sendak said once they were at the front of the line. Prince? Shiro kept his eyes cast down, but even so he could practically feel the man looking at him.

“Commander Sendak,” the prince greeted him, his voice low and rich. He seemed completely at ease while Sendak bristled with ill-concealed anger. Clearly there was some history here that Shiro wasn’t privy to.

“What’s this?” the prince asked. “You’ve brought the Champion?”

Shiro saw the prince step closer and startled at the feeling of elegant fingers gently taking hold of his chin and tilting his face upwards. He didn’t resist, but kept his eyes cast downward, looking past Prince Lotor’s shoulder rather than directly meeting his eyes. One of the women flanking the prince, the big one with the pink furry ears, grinned- revealing two rows of wickedly sharp teeth.

“Magnificent,” the prince said, his voice a little breathless. He dropped his hand and Shiro stepped back, trying to keep his breathing under control and his knees from shaking. Everything about this was making him anxious. For the first time ever he wished he was back in his cell.

“You honor me, Commander Sendak,” the prince continued. “A fine gift. Acxa?” he called, and one of the women stepped forward. “Take him to my rooms, prepare him as I like.”

“Yes, sir,” she said and took Shiro by the upper arm, leading him away before anyone had time to protest. Surprised at this turn of events, Shiro looked up and caught a glimpse of Sendak’s face. The commander’s eyebrows were drawn down, his lips pressed together in a thin line and his shoulders tight with anger. This wasn’t what he’d intended to happen but it was too late to protest without making a scene. As they left, the prince said something Shiro couldn’t hear and everyone around the man laughed.

Shiro sized up the woman, Acxa. She was shorter than most Galra, slender but clearly well built under her bulky armor. She walked with confidence, her hand still gripping Shiro’s upper arm tightly. Shiro followed without protest, knowing he was no match for her and hoping for some kind of distraction or a bit of luck to come along. None did. She led him through a series of corridors and into a set of living quarters similar to Sendak’s own.

“Sit,” she said, motioning towards the dining table at the center of the room. Shiro did as he was told, already trying to come up with a plan for escape. After a polite knock, Galra sentry robots walked in with platters of food and started setting them down on the table in front of Shiro. After eating nothing but gruel for months the smell of rich roasted meats and alien vegetables and fruits was overwhelming. Shiro’s mouth started watering, his eyes wide as he stared at the feast being laid out before him. A sentry set out a plate, along with a napkin, an oddly shaped fork with two tines, and- he could barely believe his luck- a _knife_. Acxa watched him closely and Shiro balled his hands up into fists over his knees, resisting the urge to reach for the blade.

“Prince Lotor is an honorable man,” Acxa said slowly. “Do as he says, and you won’t be hurt.” She stared at him, her expression fierce. So he was supposed to just lie back and take it? Like hell. Shiro stayed silent.

“For you,” she said, motioning to the platters. “Eat.” She turned and left the room.

Shiro waited a few moments to see if she would come back, then grabbed the knife. The cuffs Sendak had put him in seemed like flimsy decorative things but they were stronger than they looked. It took nearly ten minutes of working at it before the latch on the left cuff sprung open. Having gotten the knack of it the other one was faster, and before long Shiro was free of the cuffs completely. He stood and searched the room, holding the knife so tightly his knuckles were white.

These rooms were even more bare than Sendak’s, clearly temporary guest quarters. Shiro tried opening the main door and found it locked. He moved on to look through the bathroom, then the bedroom. The only thing of interest was an armored space suit in the corner. Based on its size, it belonged to the prince. Because of his delicate, almost feminine, features and his long hair that would be a dangerous liability in a fight, Shiro had first assumed the man to be a soft politician. But maybe he was a warrior. That didn’t bode well for Shiro’s chances but he still had to try and get the better of him. He went back into the main room, eyeing the food dubiously. It could be poisoned, or drugged. But what would be the point?

His stomach growled pitifully. He told himself he needed to keep his strength up but the truth was he was starving and the food smelled delicious. He sat down at the table and piled his plate high with a bit of everything. On the one hand he didn’t want to make himself sick by eating too much too fast and on the other- he didn’t know how much time he’d have before someone came to take the food away. Everything he tried was amazing. Flavor burst over his tongue with each bite. Some things seemed familiar, like a juicy cut of meat that tasted almost identical to steak, others were entirely new and impossible for Shiro to describe. Many of the dishes were spiced, burning pleasurably over his taste-buds.

As it turned out he needn’t have worried about time. There was no clock but Shiro was sure at least several hours went by. He ate his fill, rested, and then ate some more. He was feeling tired, the sensation of fullness lulling him towards sleep. He forced himself to stay awake, gripping the knife as though his life depended it, knowing it very well might. The food had long gone cold by the time he heard footsteps approaching out in the hall.

Shiro sprang to his feet, trying to hold the knife out of view. The door opened and the prince walked in. He didn’t have his bodyguards with him, which could either be a bit of luck or a dangerous sign that maybe he didn’t really need them after all. His cheeks were flushed and he stumbled slightly as he took off his long tailored jacket and threw it haphazardly over a nearby chair. Was he- drunk? Shiro tightened his grip on the knife, tensing. Lotor looked up, caught Shiro’s gaze, and grinned.

“Sendak was a fool to bring you.” Lotor said with a laugh. He inspected Shiro standing tense by the table and the decimated platters laid out over it. “I see you’ve eaten. Very good.”

Shiro stayed silent. The prince walked over to the dining table and Shiro fought the instinct to back away. Lotor seemed distracted as he reached for a small red fruit on one of the platters and Shiro didn’t think he’d have a better opportunity any time soon. He lunged forward with his knife aimed at the Galra’s chest.

The man moved impossibly fast, grabbing Shiro by the wrist and squeezing in a way that made Shiro’s hand spasm and open, dropping the weapon. He twisted Shiro’s arm behind his back and slammed him to the the ground as if he weighed nothing. Shiro yelled in agony at the impact. He couldn’t breathe. Everything went hazy as he gasped like a landed fish. He might have passed out for a moment; when he came to he found himself lying on his stomach on the floor with Lotor’s knee pressing sharply into his lower back. The Galra held Shiro’s wrists tightly in one hand, his other was at the back of Shiro’s head, fingers gripping him by the hair and pushing his face against the ground. Shiro tried to jerk out of his hold and had to gasp back a cry of pain as the movement put more pressure on his ribs. He felt sweat rising over his forehead, his back. His skin was flushed, his breath came in desperate gasps.

“You have fight in you, I respect that,” Lotor said conversationally, sounding just as casual now, having tackled a prisoner in his suite, as he had entertaining at the cocktail party. “I understand how this seems to you. I understand there’s nothing I can say to convince you otherwise. In your position I would have done the same thing.”

He leaned closer and Shiro could feel Lotor’s breath ghosting over his ear, could smell the whiff of alcohol. His voice dropped into a lower, colder register, and Shiro shuddered at the naked threat in it. “You won’t attempt that again. If you do, I’ll have to break your hand and send you back to your cell. And tomorrow evening, when it’s time for your next arena battle, you will be killed. Is that clear?”

Shiro shuddered again. He tried to nod but Lotor’s grip on his hair was too tight to allow the movement.

“Is that clear? Say it,” Lotor said, pressing down with his knee. Shiro closed his eyes tightly, gasping at the growing pressure on his ribs. He could practically hear the creaking of his ribcage compressing. Nausea rose within him and he fought to keep it at bay. “ _Say it_ ,” Lotor hissed, pressing even harder.

Shiro screamed in pain. “Yes!” he forced out.

Just like that the pain stopped and Lotor let go, standing up. “Very good,” he said, tone mild and almost friendly again.

Shiro didn’t move for a long time, fighting to catch his breath. The floor was pleasantly cool against his forehead and he focused on the sensation as he fought to center himself, calm his mind. The answer to the question of whether Lotor was a warrior was an unforgiving yes, and Shiro’s escape plans were shot to hell.

He heard Lotor walking around and shifting things on the table, the splashing of liquid being poured into a glass. Slowly Shiro eased himself up, standing carefully as he held his hand pressed against his aching ribs. Lotor was sitting at the dining table, sipping something from a dark glass. His pose was casual, almost slouching. He had one arm hooked loosely over the back of his chair, his left foot resting on the opposite knee. Shiro hadn’t forgotten how easily he’d been taken down just minutes ago, the cold blooded threat still ringing through his ears. He’d learned his lesson- he wouldn’t be trying anything again, not with this man.

“Are you still hungry?” Lotor asked politely.

Shiro licked his dry lips and shook his head no.

“Very well.”

Summoned by some unseen signal, two sentry robots entered the room and cleared the table. Lotor ignored them, watching Shiro with narrowed eyes.

“I saw your last fight,” he said once the sentries were gone. “You took a hard hit.”

Shiro raised and lowered a shoulder in a noncommittal shrug. He wasn’t sure what answer the prince was expecting to hear.

“Show me,” Lotor said.

Shiro flushed red, angry and embarrassed at the order. “No,” he said through clenched teeth.

Lotor’s lips quirked up into a predatory smile. “You’re in no position to say no to me, Champion. Show me.”

Shiro looked down, refusing to meet Lotor’s gaze as he brought shaking fingers to the hidden zipper on the side of his jumpsuit. He half expected Lotor to rush him as he slowly peeled his torso out of the thin garment, trying not to show the pain the movements were causing him. Instead the prince observed him patiently, eyes narrowed with interest as each new cut and bruise was gradually revealed. Shiro’s breath came fast and agitated, making him feel lightheaded.

“Come here,” Lotor said, sitting up straight and setting his glass down. Shiro obeyed, grimacing. Lotor leaned in and reached out to prod at the bruising over Shiro’s torso. Shiro flinched at the first touch but the other man was surprisingly gentle as he examined his broken ribs. Lotor spread his fingers wide, pressing his palm carefully against the worst of the bruising. His hand was warm, uncomfortably pleasant. Shiro noticed how handsome he was and wished he hadn’t. “Breathe as deeply as you can, slowly,” Lotor murmured.

Shiro did as he was told, breathing while Lotor intently watched the rise and fall of his chest.

“Well,” Lotor said matter-of-factly, dropping his hand and leaning away. “It isn’t good, but I’ve seen worse.”

Sensing a dismissal Shiro took a few steps backwards, mentally bracing for a reprimand. He was surprised when none came. Lotor stood and retrieved a small case from a locked cabinet before returning to the table. He pulled out a few round canisters, a wide pad made of something that didn’t quite seem like cloth, and some bandages.

“This will help with the pain, and with the healing process,” Lotor said, unscrewing a canister deftly and dipping his long fingers inside to scoop out some pearly white salve. A sharp acidic scent like a mix of pine and lemon filled the room.

“I don’t want your help,” Shiro said.

“I don’t care what you want. Come here.”

Shiro did as he was told. He couldn’t hold back a deep shuddering sigh at the first application of the salve. It was cool with a strong numbing property and the pain in his ribs faded almost immediately, a sudden relief. Breathing came easier and Shiro finally noticed how shallowly he’d been breathing before. Lotor stayed silent as he continued to smooth the salve over Shiro’s skin, moving on from the rib fracture to Shiro’s other cuts and bruises. He focused on areas of the worst pain first, moving with the confidence of a man who had experienced such injuries himself. Soon Shiro’s torso was a patchwork of cool greasy spots. Before he was finished, Lotor covered his ribs with the pad, wrapped just tightly enough with bandages that it would stay securely fastened but not so tight that Shiro’s breathing was constricted.

“You may head into the bedroom,” Lotor said, starting to put the medical supplies away.

Shiro’s cheeks flushed red and he stumbled backwards, hands balling up into fists.

“I meant- to rest,” Lotor said. Shiro still made no move to obey and the prince sighed, rubbing at his temples. “I assure you, I will not be joining you. Do you understand?”

Shiro nodded slowly, without conviction. He didn’t entirely believe Lotor, but there wasn’t much point in voicing his doubts.

“Good. I’m sure you know where everything is. Go on.” Lotor turned away from him and took his glass to the couch before busying himself with a data pad. Shiro stood in the middle of the room for a moment, at a bit of a loss. Lotor was steadfastly ignoring him and Shiro was dead on his feet of exhaustion. Carefully, still keeping the Galra prince in the corner of his eye, Shiro made his way over to the restroom. He relieved himself before washing his hands and splashing water on his face.

When he left the bathroom it was to see that Lotor hadn’t moved. Shiro wondered if he really was being honest, if Shiro would get his first full night’s sleep in a real bed since he’d left Earth. Once in the bedroom he barricaded the door with a small arm chair that had been in the corner. It wouldn’t do much to stop anyone from coming in, but Shiro hoped the resulting noise would at least wake him in time to try and fight back.

He crawled into bed, nearly groaning at the luxury of a mattress, pillows, a thick blanket. Without entirely intending to, he fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

 

* * *

 

In the morning Shiro felt refreshed and unusually well-rested. His ribs didn’t hurt anymore and neither did his smaller cuts and bruises.

“I see you slept well,” Lotor said when Shiro left the bedroom. “It’s well past lunch.” He was reading at the dining table, dressed in a loose robe with his long hair pulled back into a braid. A covered tray sat before him along with a pitcher of water and something Shiro assumed was juice.

Shiro’s stomach grumbled and Lotor’s lips quirked up into a smile. “Help yourself,” he said, waving noncommittally towards the tray. Shiro didn’t need to be asked twice. He seated himself as far away from the man as possible before he uncovered the tray and started to eat. Even after the huge dinner the previous night he was ravenous- one meal was not enough to satisfy months of hunger.

“Sendak will send someone for you soon,” Lotor said casually once Shiro was finished. “Your opponent will be Haxus. Go for his legs, particularly his left knee. Don’t let him grapple you- he’ll crush your skull like an egg.”

“Why are you helping me?” Shiro asked dubiously.

“Because I want to. Because I can.” Lotor paused, looking at Shiro consideringly. “You may be tempted towards despair, but there is a way forward for you- and you are already on that path.”

“What does that mean?”

Lotor smiled. “Acxa was once in your position- just a prisoner forced to fight in the arena. She became a champion and now she is my valued general. Time transforms us all.”

Shiro frowned and looked down at his hands on the table, at his empty plate smeared with sauce and crumbs. “I just want to find my friends and go home,” he said quietly.

“Many things are possible provided you have the right resources, the right people behind you.”

Shiro looked up sharply, wondering what exactly Lotor was offering him, what he wanted in return. As always, Lotor’s expression was unreadable, almost bland. It was impossible to know if he was only toying with Shiro or if he was being serious.

A knock sounded at the door and when Lotor called for the visitors to enter two guards walked in. Shiro stood from the table- he knew they were here for him. He didn’t resist as they took him by the upper arms and led him away, back to his cell.

“Good luck, Champion,” were Lotor’s parting words.

 

* * *

 

“Do you think he’s going to win?” Ezor asked with an eager smile. Far below them the Champion and Haxus circled each other cautiously in the arena. Lotor would have preferred to sit in the stands closer to the ring but it would be unseemly for the prince not to use the imperial box. A pity. He’d have to find an opportunity to come in disguise so he could actually get a good view of the matches.

“Perhaps,” Lotor said. He was wary of appearing too invested in the outcome of the fight, maintaining a carefully casual pose as he leaned with his elbows on the railing. It was in his best interest for the Champion to defeat Haxus, even better if he killed the Galra outright, though he wasn’t counting on that eventuality. Sendak, Lotor had recently learned, favored Haxus for a promotion to Lieutenant, a position that brought with it territory rights that included a minor planetoid Lotor was surreptitiously mining for Xanthorium. Fighting in the arena was a right of passage of sorts among the Galra. Being defeated by a prisoner, especially one that wasn’t even Galra, would be a dishonor serious enough to delay Haxus’ promotion and subsequent inspection of his holdings for several movements at least. It would be long enough for Lotor to finish his operation and cover up any sign his droids had ever been there.

Lotor had been pleased, though more than a little surprised, when the opportunity to spirit away the Champion had presented itself. Boosting the man’s odds by providing him with a proper meal, some much-needed medical attention, and a bit of a pep-talk was much less of a nuisance than setting into motion any of the other contingency plans he’d been prepared to act on. That the man happened to be rather handsome was an added benefit, turning Lotor’s ploy from a chore into a relatively pleasant evening.

“Haxus is a seasoned Galra warrior,” Sendak said from Lotor’s other side. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his oversized robotic arm making him appear comically lopsided. “The Champion will not defeat him.”

“Would you care to wager on that?” Lotor asked, not one to pass up an opportunity for profit. He didn’t bother looking away from the fight as he spoke. “I could use a fleet. Or harvesting rights to the Balmera in your system.”

“I won’t entertain such an insulting offer,” Sendak growled.

“If you cannot spare the resources, there’s no dishonor in admitting it,” Lotor said mildly.

Sendak glowered, hands tightening before he forced himself to relax. “What could you possibly offer in return to match what you’ve asked for?” he scoffed. “Let’s keep it simple. Twenty million GAC.”

“Very well,” Lotor said, nodding as he suppressed a pleased smile. He had no desire for the bureaucratic headache that came with managing a fleet, no need for Balmeran crystals when his ships ran on quintessence. Currency, however, was an ever-versatile liquid asset.

A metallic screech rang out through the arena, followed by a dismayed noise echoing through the watching crowd. Ezor gasped, bringing her hands up to her face. The Champion’s blade had shattered when he’d parried a hard hit from Haxus. Acxa shifted from foot to foot uneasily and Lotor frowned, eyes narrowing. He hadn’t expected Sendak to stoop so low as to sabotage the match, but to Lotor’s experienced eye the breaking pattern of the weapon was unmistakably unnatural.

“How odd,” Lotor said coldly. “I’ve never seen that happen before.”

“You must not watch very many matches,” Sendak replied, smiling smugly. “I warned you- Haxus will be the victor.”

Below, Haxus had gone on the offensive, his sword a furious blur as he hacked and slashed wildly. The Champion was managing to stay well out of his reach. The smaller man was still holding the hilt of his shattered blade, still moving with confidence rather than panic. Lotor was finding it difficult to hide his interest as he watched the Champion start to take control of the flow of battle, goading Haxus into attacking just to dodge at the last moment. He ducked another swing then hurled his sword hilt at Haxus’ face. The Galra flinched, raising his dominant arm, the one holding his blade, to shield his eyes. The human took advantage of the distraction to dive at the Galra, kicking him hard in the left knee. The resulting sickening crack echoed sharply through the suddenly silent arena.

Lotor watched with bated breath and wide eyes, lips unconsciously parted in delight as Haxus cried out and fell to the sand. The Champion stepped on the Galra’s sword arm and stooped to wrestle the blade out of his grip before straightening to his full height, holding the tip of the sword against Haxus’ throat. He looked up into the stands defiantly and for a moment Lotor felt that the other man was looking directly at him.

The arena erupted in a roughly even split of cheering and heckling, some of the audience members throwing empty food and drink containers towards the pit in disgust while the rest rose to their feet, clapping and chanting “Champion! Champion!” in a cresting wave.

Sendak growled in anger next to him while Lotor only smiled. “To the victor go the spoils,” he said, bursting with mirth. He turned to give Sendak a seemingly friendly clap to the shoulder. “You can transfer the GAC to me at any point before I leave in the morning, Commander.” He could practically hear Sendak grinding his teeth in rage. “If you’ll pardon me, I have other business to attend to. It’s been a pleasure, as usual.”

Lotor turned and left the box. He didn’t need to look back to know his generals were following. Once they were alone in the halls Acxa sped up to walk beside him.

“The Champion shows promise,” Lotor told her quietly. She nodded to show her assent but otherwise stayed silent. “Use our winnings to buy a few guards, I’d like to keep an eye on him.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on tumblr at [barbitone](http://barbitone.tumblr.com/) \- NSFW art at [barbitone-afterdark](https://barbitone-afterdark.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Note on the bet- by my estimate the conversion rate is roughly 100 GAC = $1.00 So Lotor and Sendak made a $200,000 bet on the outcome of the match. Definitely a fuck-ton, but maybe not as much of one as you may have initially thought.


	2. Part II: The Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Who are you?” Shiro managed, squinting at the man to try to keep him in focus.
> 
> “No one,” the guard said. “Hurry up.”
> 
> Shiro was completely uncoordinated, barely able to keep his limbs from shaking, but with the help of the Galra he managed to make it into the cockpit. The guard programed a set of coordinates into the console and helped buckle Shiro into the pilot’s seat.
> 
> He made to leave then paused, staring at Shiro. “You tell him we’re even now, understand? Tell him never to contact me again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is OFFICIALLY FINISHED at 62k words. Woah, boy. I did say it was going to be a wild ride, didn't I? Going through final edits and beta stage now (thank you [Lutz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lutz/pseuds/lutz)) and will probably move to posting roughly twice a week.
> 
> Hope you enjoy, please leave comments :)

* * *

After his battle with Haxus, Shiro’s life improved in several significant ways. Guards that had previously treated him with complete disregard started sneaking him extra rations, guards that had been openly hostile started treating him with something like grudging respect. He was moved to a different cell, one with a thick blanket folded up in the corner and a small porthole that looked out into space. He was occasionally provided medical supplies and a salve that smelled exactly like the one Lotor had used on him. Shiro didn’t think that was a coincidence.

He wondered at the gifts, wondered about Lotor. Was the prince trying to buy into Shiro’s good graces, groom him for some future purpose? Shiro wanted freedom, not trinkets. But to a starving man every bit of food was a godsend, to a freezing man a blanket was a miracle. Shiro held his suspicions close to his heart, refusing to let go of them as if he’d lose a part of himself if he did. He took to looking out into the stands at the end of his matches, trying to catch a glimpse of his benefactor.

In the following months he only saw Lotor twice. Both times the man was in the imperial box, both times he barely even looked down into the arena, too busy talking to whichever Galra commanders were with him.

In the end Lotor’s gifts, his presumed protection, came to nothing. Lotor wasn’t there when Shiro lost his arm in a fight, and he wasn’t there when robed figures came to take Shiro away. Shiro himself wasn’t exactly all there at that point either. He was delirious by then, lost in a maze of agony. In an instant his world had dissolved into darkness. 

What followed was a confusing tangle of memories. When he was lucid, which wasn’t often, he was aware of being strapped to a table, of his right arm burning. He was surrounded by men with glowing eyes, dark silhouettes and masks, a woman in a hooded robe with scars down both sides of her face like bloody tears. There were other things, things he tried to forget. Shiro’s world was filled with his own screams, the smell of sweat and fear, his heartbeat running so fast and hard that his entire body shook with it. 

Shiro felt dizzy, like he was falling, flying, sinking deep into the oily black slick of the ocean.

“Come on,” someone hissed.

Shiro looked down blearily to see a Galra guard pulling on his arm, trying to get him to sit up. His shackles were open. The room was silent, empty of everyone but the two of them. Shiro let the man pull him up into a sitting position and groaned when the walls started spinning around him. 

“Can you walk?”

Shiro opened his mouth to answer and felt nausea welling up in his throat. Purely by instinct he leaned away, vomiting over the side of the lab table. He raised his hand to wipe at his mouth and flinched at the sight of a robotic arm taking up the space where his hand should have been. The guard grunted in disgust and pulled Shiro’s left arm over his shoulder, wrapping his other arm around Shiro’s waist before standing up. Shiro dangled off the taller man like a rag doll, unable to hold up his own head, much less the rest of his body. 

Being dragged along through the dark empty corridors felt like floating and tumbling down a rocky hillside all at the same time. He was nearly sick again when they had to hide behind a bulkhead to avoid a passing group of sentries, but through some hard tiny shard of pure willpower Shiro managed to hold it back. He screwed his eyes shut, focusing only on his breathing until the sick feeling passed. The ship shook around them. He could hear screaming somewhere in the distance. Then they were moving again.

They reached the hangar with no further incident and the guard left him leaning against a fighter plane while he climbed up into the cockpit to fiddle with the controls. Shiro was feeling more lucid by the time the Galra dropped down next to him, at least lucid enough to realize this might be a rescue.

“Who are you?” he managed, squinting at the man to try to keep him in focus.

“No one,” the guard said. “Hurry up.”

Shiro was completely uncoordinated, barely able to keep his limbs from shaking, but with the help of the Galra he managed to make it into the cockpit. The guard programed a set of coordinates into the console and helped buckle Shiro into the pilot’s seat. 

He made to leave then paused, staring at him. “You tell him we’re even now, understand? Tell him never to contact me again.”

Shiro nodded dumbly. He was dizzy again. His arm was on fire, he was sure of it. He was too afraid to look. The guard hit a button on the console and dropped back down, running across the hangar towards a control panel. A sheet of curved glass slid out to cover the cockpit and the fighter came alive around Shiro, the engines coming online with a soft hum. It started to move towards the airlock. An alarm rang out accompanied by flashing lights. Shiro shut his eyes to try and hold back vertigo as the airlock doors opened and his fighter started accelerating.

He wasn’t sure if the rumbling he felt was the result of an explosion or the ship’s engines or just his own mind playing tricks on him, if the fire filling the hangar was real or imagined. He knew he was hallucinating when he saw three huge robotic lions rocket past, battling a swarm of Galra fighters. One of the lions had what looked like a dagger clutched in its mouth and Shiro couldn’t help a delirious laugh.

He tried to get a better look but his own ship was flying in the opposite direction and soon he lost sight of the battle. He was hurtling through space. Was he dreaming? He drifted in and out of consciousness, his only way to mark the passage of time was by the intensity of his growing thirst.

The ship started slowing as it approached an asteroid field and in the space between one breath and another a large cruiser appeared, as if it had materialized from thin air. Shiro blinked as he tried to focus on it. Undeniably Galra, but with sleek smooth edges, a softer design, blue and orange accents. Shiro frowned, something about the pattern was so familiar but he couldn’t remember what it was. A hangar door started opening in the belly of the ship, a gaping black hole. Shiro felt himself falling towards it as his fighter drifted inside with no input from its delirious pilot.

Shiro was swallowed by darkness. 

* * *

“Careful!” Lotor snapped at the sentry robot that was washing the unconscious Champion’s hair. After the third rinse the water was still washing out red. The sentry looked up, an expression of hurt somehow telegraphing over its robotic features, then resumed its work more gently.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Acxa asked.

“I have a way of turning things to my advantage,” he said.

That would be as close as Lotor would get to admitting he didn’t precisely have a plan in place at the moment. Despite his carefully constructed reputation for always being five steps ahead, sometimes he found himself acting on impulse and figuring out the strategic benefits later. He’d wanted the Champion, and when the opportunity to steal him out from under Haggar’s nose presented itself he’d seized it. He would find a way to turn the man into an asset, that much he was sure of, but in the meantime he could allow himself to enjoy the small victory of a well-executed scheme.

“What if someone recognizes him? What if it gets back to the Emperor that you were the one that took him?” Acxa pushed. 

Lotor shook his head dismissively. “So what if they do? Now that Voltron has returned my father and his witch have bigger problems than a missing prisoner. Even if I am called to account for this, there’s no proof I was behind any of it. He could have come into my company through any number of channels.”

“Hmm,” Acxa hummed, unconvinced. “According to our spies, Voltron took a number of prisoners during their attack. If you’re found to be associating with one of them, it may tie you to the Voltron Paladins, call into question your loyalty to the Empire.” 

“Let me worry about that,” Lotor said firmly, signalling the end of their discussion. He was finished trying to convince her. She’d obey his orders despite her doubts.

“Yes, sir,” she said with a small nod. The ‘sir’ seemed sharper than usual, she was frustrated at the way he was brushing off her concerns. “Just-” she started, uncertain. “Be careful, Lotor.”

“Always,” he said with an easy smile. She nodded and left the room. 

The solitude was a relief, allowing him to let his smile fade away and stop hiding his fascination. He turned his full attention to the Champion, taking in his body laid out on the lab table, cataloging the man’s injuries with a clinical gaze. There were new scars on his torso, his arms. He seemed thinner than he’d been the last time Lotor had seen him up close, his cheeks were sunken and his skin had a gray tint to it as though he’d recently lost a lot of blood. The arm was a perplexing addition. Why equip a prisoner with advanced Galra tech that rivaled what commanders fought for decades to earn? What had the witch been trying to accomplish?

“Take a blood sample,” Lotor ordered the sentry. “Test for quintessence poisoning. He’ll be no use to me if he’s lost his mind.”

The sentry beeped its assent and Lotor forced himself to turn away and leave the room. There was something captivating about the Champion, even while unconscious, and if he didn’t stop himself Lotor was afraid he’d end up staying, watching, until the man woke or Lotor’s presence was required elsewhere. Acxa was right, he had to be careful. He had to maintain an appearance of control, if not the reality of it. If Acxa was doubting his judgment, his other generals were too.

He didn’t notice his hands balling up into fists as he walked, mind racing as he tried to figure out where to go from here.

* * *

Shiro woke to a pulsing headache and the taste of stale vomit. That part was uncomfortably familiar, it was everything else that felt off. Whatever he was lying on was too soft to be a lab table, he was too warm to be back in his cell. Opening his eyes slowly, he saw he was in a darkened room. It was unmistakably Galra based on the abundance of the color purple. He remembered snatches of sneaking through hallways, being strapped into the pilot’s seat of a Galra fighter, hurtling through space while a battle raged around him. He wasn’t sure if that had really happened or if he’d just dreamt it. It had felt so real but then again, many of his hallucinations felt real until they dissolved into more pain. 

It was undeniable that he was in a different place though. Something had changed and he needed to figure out what as fast as possible. He looked down at his body and saw the robotic arm with a jolt of nausea. There was an I.V. line in the crook of his left elbow, filled with a clear liquid. Shiro broke out into a cold sweat at the sight of it, the knowledge that he was being pumped full of drugs or god knows what. He carefully slid the needle out with trembling fingers and it wasn’t until after that he realized he wasn’t tied down. 

He sat up, rubbing at his temples to try and push back the pain. His hair felt strange and it took him a minute to realize it was because it was clean. His clothes were clean too, a black one-piece jumpsuit similar to his prison suit, but made with thick high-quality fabric. He shuddered at the thought that someone had washed and dressed him while he’d been unconscious. When he looked up he got another unpleasant jolt. There was a Galra sentry robot standing in the corner, watching him.

“What do you want?” Shiro asked, his voice coming out as a ragged croak. The sentry didn’t respond.

Shiro stood slowly, his legs shaking and weak from disuse. The room was small, reminding him of his quarters back at the Garrison. There was the cot he’d been lying on, a writing desk with a lamp and a small chair, a few empty shelves along the walls. Dim purple lighting lined the edges where the walls met the ceiling and outlined a simple door that stood open, a bathroom clearly visible beyond it. Shiro had to lean on the wall to make his way over, glancing nervously at the sentry as he went. It followed him with the glowing y-shaped slit that was its face but otherwise didn’t move from its spot.

Once in the bathroom Shiro shut the door and leaned heavily on the sink, staring into the mirror. His hair was almost past his shoulders now and had a wide white streak in it. Otherwise, he didn’t look too terrible. The lower half of his face was covered in stubble, his skin seemed a little waxy and pale but the circles under his eyes were less pronounced than the last time he’d managed to catch sight of his reflection in the lab. He touched his face in disbelief and ran his human hand over his chest and body. Other than the headache and the ever-present mild nausea he felt- fine. He unzipped his jumpsuit, stripping to the waist in front of the mirror. A faint smell filled the room, like lemon and pine. He had new scars he didn’t remember getting but they were completely healed over now. He couldn’t bring himself to look at the robotic arm, at the scarring where it met his flesh.

He dressed again, taking the time to inspect the fabric of his suit. It was comfortable, warm, fit him as though it had been tailored to his body. Shiro was starting to suspect who was behind this and it only made him more nervous.

He went back into the main room, eyeing the sentry suspiciously. There was a pair of spacesuit boots by the cot and Shiro put them on. They had thrusters at the calves in the Galra-prefered style, but Shiro had no idea how to operate them. He had to walk closer to the sentry to get to the main door and flinched when it took a half-step towards him, but relaxed when it didn’t advance any further. He tried the door. It opened.

There was a hallway outside and he peeked out cautiously. The coast was clear. He picked a direction at random and started walking. The sentry didn’t try to stop him but it did follow, its footsteps a slow constant tapping at his back. Shiro paused and turned back to look at the robot.

“Stop following me,” he ordered. It was worth a try.

It ignored him of course, but he’d expected as much. It was here to keep an eye on him, prevent him from escaping or going somewhere he shouldn’t. No matter where he went, what door he opened, the sentry didn’t try to stop him or interfere, just kept a respectful distance behind him. 

The ship seemed oddly empty for its apparent size. Shiro must have been wandering aimlessly for at least twenty minutes before he heard the approaching footsteps of a group of guards. He hid behind a bulkhead out of pure habit while his companion droid stood like an idiot in the middle of the hall, giving away his position. 

He closed his eyes and dropped his head against the wall, willing his racing heartbeat to calm down. It seemed silly to be scared of guards when he’d had one with him the whole time, but logic was nothing in the face of instinctual fear. The footsteps got closer until a group of four sentries marched past on their patrol. None of them even so much as looked at Shiro. He didn’t stop shaking until they were out of sight and the tapping of their footsteps had faded into nothing. He took a deep breath and kept going.

He was starting to tire now, his head spinning a little from the exertion of walking for what felt like hours but was probably more like forty minutes at most. It was hard to tell time in the enclosed space, where all the halls and doorways looked the same and the lighting never changed. And then, purely by luck, he stumbled onto a set of doors that were much larger than the rest. He tapped on the panel beside them and stared wide-eyed as the doors opened onto a hangar full of gleaming fighter ships.

He shot an uneasy glance at the sentry behind him. Surely he wouldn’t be allowed inside the room? But the robot seemed just as bland and compliant as it always did. Shiro carefully stepped over the threshold. The robot followed, nothing more. The room was empty of anyone but them so Shiro picked a fighter at random and made his way towards it. The robot didn’t stop him as he got closer, didn’t stop him as he climbed up into the cockpit, didn’t stop him as he started the ignition sequence and the engines began cycling up. Shiro stared in disbelief as it stood meekly on the ground, barely even looking at him. 

“Are you quite certain you’ve thought this through?”

Shiro flinched at the familiar aristocratic tone and turned his head to see Prince Lotor leaning casually against a control panel in the corner of the room. Had he been there the whole time? Shiro frowned, hands tightening over the fighter’s controls.

“Are you here to stop me?” he asked. 

“No,” the prince said. “You’re not a prisoner here. You may leave whenever you wish.” 

“Then I’m going home.” 

“Are you?” Lotor asked mildly, staring at him. “Consider the fact that the fighter you’re in is equipped with enough fuel and supplies to last you a single movement. Is that enough time to reach your homeworld, or will you end up starving while you drift through deep space in a dead ship? Or worse- run right into a Galra fleet to be recaptured?”

Shiro’s blood ran cold at the thought. He wasn’t exactly sure he wasn’t _still_ captured, but at least being Lotor’s prisoner was better than being a lab experiment. The fighter ship beeped out an alert, the engines were ready for take off. Shiro looked back at Lotor, taking in the man’s relaxed stance. It had to be a front, he had to be lying. There was no way he was about to let Shiro escape.

But that didn’t mean Shiro was going to just give up without trying. Defiantly, he hit the button that closed the cockpit. Lotor didn’t say anything further, just leaned over and did something at the control panel. The hangar door began to slide open, nothing but a thin glittering forcefield separating the bay from the vacuum of space. They were in an asteroid field, and beyond it there was nothing but the breathtaking vista of a black sky filled with endless possibilities.

Shiro’s hands tightened over the controls. After one final glance at Lotor he turned his eyes to the stars and hit the throttle. His breath came fast, his heart hammering in his chest. He was sure once he hit that force field the ship would explode, or maybe he’d wake up back in his cell. He wasn’t going to stop. If this was the end, fine, but he was done living at the mercy of others. His knuckles were white, every muscle clenched as freedom grew closer and closer. The forcefield was right in front of him and then he was through and past it, flying into the asteroid field at top speed. 

He had to bank a hard right to avoid immediately smashing his ship against a rock, only to have to course correct a split second later. If he’d actually thought he was going to survive leaving Lotor’s cruiser he would have taken this part a little slower. Adrenaline rushed through him, an exhilarating high that sharpened his senses into laser focus. Everything else disappeared and it was just him and the ship. Proximity alarms screamed at him as he hurtled through the asteroid field with reckless abandon. He ignored them. He was the best goddamn pilot in the history of the Garrison, he didn’t need an alien ship telling him how to fly. He was grinning so widely his face was starting to hurt, he was alive again. 

_Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!_ sang though his mind over and over and he whooped with joy as he pushed the fighter to the brink of its capabilities. He got to the edge of the asteroid field and opened up the throttle, heading anywhere as long as it was away. He checked the sensors. No sign of pursuit. Maybe Lotor wasn’t lying about letting him go. Maybe Lotor wasn’t lying about any of it.

“Fuck!” Shiro yelled, and hit the reverse thrusters. The fighter slowed until it was just drifting in space. Lotor was right. Shiro had no clue where he was, where Earth was. He didn’t even know what the hell a movement was. A day? A week? Five hours? The high of escape was fading fast and Shiro released his death grip on the controls, content to sit quietly in the ship and stare out into space. Endless possibilities, but only one Earth. And even if he did somehow get lucky and manage to get home he’d be leaving Matt and Sam behind. They were suffering just as he had, maybe worse. But he was alive and more or less in one piece, so there was a chance they were too.

Shiro would be glad to lay down his life if it would mean something, if it could help his friends. But he couldn’t just throw it away blindly on a desperate fool’s errand. They were counting on him.

“Fuck,” Shiro said with a resigned sigh, and turned the ship around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on tumblr at [barbitone](http://barbitone.tumblr.com/) \- NSFW art at [barbitone-afterdark](https://barbitone-afterdark.tumblr.com/)
> 
> **Next up: Part III: Looking for Home**
> 
> Lotor led the way into the cargo hold, meeting up with the rest of his generals and the Champion- Shiro- who was still refusing to look his way. He seemed ill-at-ease, no doubt wondering why Lotor had insisted he join them. He’d find out soon, hopefully be pleased enough to forgive Lotor’s earlier attempt to help him, which he’d apparently interpreted as assault.


	3. Part III: Looking for Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lotor led the way into the cargo hold, meeting up with the rest of his generals and the Champion- Shiro- who was still refusing to look his way. He seemed ill-at-ease, no doubt wondering why Lotor had insisted he join them. He’d find out soon, hopefully be pleased enough to forgive Lotor’s earlier attempt to help him, which he’d apparently interpreted as assault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my lovely beta [Lutz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lutz/pseuds/lutz)\- your support is hugely appreciated!
> 
> This is the chapter where things start to get rolling ;)

 

* * *

 

Shiro sighed and rubbed at his temples. His eyes were aching after hours of staring at star charts and there was a headache building at the back of his head. Everything looked vaguely the same, nothing was familiar. Even after Lotor’s blind general Narti had sorted the data for him based on the most likely locations of Earth there were thousands of possibilities. At this rate he’d never find it.

He heard the door open behind him but didn’t bother looking to see who it was. It was probably a sentry on patrol.

“Any success?” Lotor asked.

Shiro flinched and turned around, uncomfortable having his back to the Galra prince. He was dressed casually in a simple sleeveless black jumpsuit and his thigh-high space boots. His hair was pulled back into a loose braid. Shiro was briefly distracted by the play of muscle at his shoulders, his powerful forearms. He forced himself to look away.

“Not yet.”

“Perhaps you should take a break,” Lotor suggested mildly. “You’ve been at this for three quintants now with barely any sleep.”

Shiro mentally ran through his Galra glossary to translate the alien term. Three _days_? He’d thought it had been less than that. He rubbed at his eyes again. Maybe he was starting to lose it.

“I’ll rest soon,” he said.

“You haven’t been sleeping well.”

Shiro frowned. “No, not particularly.” Between the anxiety, the flashbacks, and the nightmares, he’d hardly been sleeping at all. He wondered if Lotor was monitoring him somehow or if it was just that obvious. The shadows under his eyes were more pronounced now than they had been when he’d first arrived on the ship. He was practically trembling with the weird nervous energy that always filled him when he was running on little to no sleep, like he’d had too much coffee and then taken a few energy shots to top it off.

“I think I can help you with that.”

“I don’t want drugs,” Shiro said and nearly flinched at the sharp memory of Lotor coldly saying _I don’t care what you want_ in his suite months ago.

“I imagine you wouldn’t,” Lotor said agreeably. “What I’m proposing is a perfectly natural sleep aid,” he smiled.

Shiro frowned, confused for a moment before his mind fell into the gutter and he flushed. Lotor couldn’t be suggesting-

“Vigorous physical activity is excellent for promoting better rest. Would you join me for a spar on the training deck?”

Shiro wasn’t sure if he was relieved or even more anxious. Sparring with Lotor was the last thing he wanted. He didn’t think it would be a very fair match, had no desire for a repeat of what had happened last time. “I think I’ve had enough fighting to last me a lifetime,” he said carefully.

“That may be so, but I guarantee you’ll see more before you’re done. It would serve you well to be in top form. I’m sure you’re rusty after all this time with no training.”

Shiro wasn’t sure if it was a suggestion or a thinly veiled order. He licked his lips nervously.

“I promise I’ll go easy on you,” Lotor said with a grin that revealed his sharp canines. His eyes were sparkling with mirth. “But of course, you’re welcome to stay here and stare at charts until you pass out.

Shiro looked back at the charts and then at Lotor, watching him expectantly.

“Alright,” he said, hoping he wouldn’t regret it. He was already kind of starting to regret it.

He followed Lotor down to the training deck and took the lightly padded gloves he was offered, pulling them on.

“Rules?” he asked, flexing his fingers in the gloves, nerves rising.

“No weapons,” Lotor said, “no hits to the face or below the belt. Tap the mat or your opponent twice to surrender the bout.”

“Okay,” Shiro said with a nod and dropped into a loose fighting stance.

“Begin,” Lotor said.

They circled each other cautiously at first. Shiro feinted forward and noted Lotor’s reaction time as the Galra dodged. They danced around each other for a bit, both wary of commiting to an attack. Lotor had longer reach and he was fast, but Shiro wasn’t exactly a novice himself and kickboxing had been his first introduction to fighting. Lotor lunged at him and Shiro spun away, ducking down to sweep Lotor’s legs out from under him. The prince turned his fall into a duck and roll, recovering impressively fast.

His cheeks were flushed a light pink and he was smiling with pleasure. “Very good,” he said, getting back into a fighting stance.

Shiro wasn’t feeling half-bad himself. He was warm, breath coming fast as his heart rate sped up to keep up with the exertion. He’d always enjoyed sparring back at the Garrison and it was still a pleasure now, when his life didn’t depend on it.

On the next round Lotor deflected his punch and pulled him off-balance, using Shiro’s own momentum to send him tumbling to the mat. Shiro felt a spike of fear at being on his back, vulnerable, but Lotor didn’t press his advantage, just stepped back to let Shiro get up.

By the fifth round Shiro was sweating and they both breathed heavily as they circled each other. If Shiro was honest with himself, he’d admit he was enjoying himself.

“Have you figured out how to activate your robotic arm?” Lotor asked casually when they took a water break some time later.

“What do you mean?” Shiro asked. He looked at his Galra hand, flexing his fingers nervously. He still wasn’t entirely used to it, but at least he no longer flinched every time he saw it. He’d examined every inch of it, or at least he thought he had. He hadn’t been able to find any secret switches or controls, no hidden compartments.

“I see,” Lotor said. “Let me show you.”

Without any warning he backhanded Shiro hard across the face. Shiro gasped in pain, reeling from the blow. His chest was wet from where he’d dropped his cup of water. Before he could react Lotor was behind him, had him in a choke hold with his left arm twisted painfully behind his back. He couldn’t breathe. He tried using his robot arm to pull Lotor’s forearm from around his throat but it was no use, Lotor was stronger than him and his grip was like iron. As a last ditch effort he tapped Lotor twice.

“I don’t think so,” Lotor said calmly, hot breath ghosting over Shiro’s ear.

Lotor pushed harder on his arm and pain spiked through him. If he’d had the breath he would have screamed. Shiro was panicking as he grew more lightheaded. His shoulder and elbow were in agony, joints pushed almost to the point of dislocation, or worse.

“You can do better than that, _Champion_.”

Flashbacks ripped through Shiro unbidden, Galra crowds chanting _Champion! Champion!_ at him while he struggled just to stay alive. He remembered the guards beating him within an inch of his life after his first attempt at escape while Sendak looked on, smirking. He remembered the faces of the other prisoners, Matt and Sam being ripped away from him. Most of all he remembered pain, and fear, and the woman in the hooded robe, doing something to him. What was she doing? What did she want from him?

Suddenly anger blazed through him like cleansing fire, burning the fear away. The robot arm flared with a bright purple glow and Shiro thought he could hear something sizzling. He was filled with impossible strength as he ripped Lotor’s arm away from his throat.

He gasped for air as he stumbled, suddenly free. Overbalancing, he fell to his knees, body shaking as he hyperventilated. When he turned to look behind him he was confused to see Lotor over fifteen feet away, sitting on the ground as he watched Shiro with interest. Had Shiro thrown him? He didn’t remember, the last few minutes were hazy from oxygen deprivation and pain. There was a bright hand-shaped burn mark around Lotor’s forearm where Shiro had been gripping him. Escaped strands of white hair framed Lotor’s face, a dark bruise marked his forehead. He had a split lip slowly oozing blood down his chin.

“You’re burning through the mat,” he said mildly.

Shiro looked down to see that the mat was smoking where his still-glowing hand rested on it. Now that the adrenaline was fading he was just left with anger and fear. The glow faded slowly until the robot arm returned to its usual unassuming state. The glove he’d been wearing on that hand was gone, burned away.

“What the _hell_?” he managed to wheeze out at last, glaring at Lotor. His throat was sore and he pressed his left hand gingerly against it.

“Now you know,” Lotor said with a shrug, not making any attempt to stand or move closer. Forget about an apology. “Remember what you were feeling when it activated, practice until you can control it, turn it on and off at will without having to fear for your life.”

“Really?” Shiro asked, voice rising until he was yelling hoarsely. “That was- _what_? Some kind of fucked up test? Training? You think you were _helping_ me?!”

Lotor turned his head to the side, wiping the blood off his chin with his thumb. “Your life may depend on you knowing how to use that thing- sooner rather than later. I’ll admit it was a dirty trick, but I won’t apologize for it. It’s not as though I seriously injured you. I’d consider us even, no?” he said, raising his burned arm demonstrably. He really didn’t think he’d done anything wrong.

Shiro was furious. “Fuck you,” he said through gritted teeth. He pointed an accusatory finger at Lotor as he spoke. “And don’t you _ever_ call me Champion again. My name is Shiro. _Shiro!_ ”

Lotor stayed silent as Shiro stormed out of the room.

 

* * *

 

“Trouble in paradise?” Zethrid asked from the co-pilot’s chair beside him.

“He’s a little angry with me over a training incident,” Lotor answered. “He’ll get over it.”

“I’m sure he will. Have you tried chocolates? Flowers?”

“Steady Zethrid, before you hurt yourself with that sharp wit.”

She laughed, throwing her head back. It was a joyful full-throated sound and Lotor smiled despite himself. It was a truly ridiculous situation. The Champion- _Shiro_ , he corrected himself- was angry at him for helping demonstrate the full capability of the weapon he had at his disposal. Would he have preferred not to know? To find out in a truly dangerous moment where surprise could have cost him his life? Ridiculous.

They passed through the shadow of a large moon and the planet Thermica came into full view, glittering like a pink jewel. Lotor activated the reverse thrusters to slow down their approach.

“Prepare for landing,” Zethrid announced into the intercom.

Lotor took them into a slow descent. The volatile electromagnetic field surrounding the planet jammed communications and made landing complicated but Lotor enjoyed the challenge of it, enjoyed not being able to rely on sensors but only on himself. The ship rumbled as it entered the atmosphere and was encased in lavender clouds. Then they were in the lower atmosphere and the surface of the planet was on full display. Lotor smiled, enjoying the view.

They passed over emerald green forests, winding rivers that shone silver in the distance, a patchwork of farmland slowly merging into towns and finally the capital city rising from the hills against the background of jagged snow-capped mountains. He brought the ship down carefully in the royal airfield at the edge of the city. He could already see the Thermican delegation waiting to greet them on the tarmac.

“Smooth landing,” Zethrid said. “Showing off?”  
  
“I know you prefer landings with a bit more... _texture_ ,” Lotor said with an easy smile, “but we have precious cargo.” He shut down the engines and stood, briefly adjusting his gauntlets and armor.

“Do you think they’ll have a feast for us like last time?” Zethrid asked.

“Almost certainly.”

She grinned wolfishly, showing off both rows of sharp teeth. “Damn, I love coming here.”

Lotor led the way into the cargo hold, meeting up with the rest of his generals and the Champion- _Shiro_ \- who was still refusing to look his way. He seemed ill-at-ease, no doubt wondering why Lotor had insisted he join them. He’d find out soon, hopefully be pleased enough to forgive Lotor’s earlier attempt to help him, which he’d apparently interpreted as assault.

“Ready?” Acxa asked. Ezor was bouncing on the balls of her feet with excitement, even Narti was smiling faintly, Kova purring from his perch on her shoulder. Lotor ran a hand through his hair and Zethrid elbowed him in the side.

“Don’t worry, you look beautiful, darling,” she said. “As usual.”

“Alright, let’s go,” Lotor commanded with a smile.

One of the sentries hit the controls and the bay door began to slide open. Sunlight filled the cargo hold, the bright line of it moving up into the belly of the ship until it enveloped all of them in its golden shine. Lotor blinked a few times, waiting for his eyes to adjust before starting down the ramp.

The leader of the waiting delegation, a small rotund man with light green skin and hair like moss, rushed forward to greet them. He bowed, pressing his palms together over his chest as though he were praying.

“Prince Lotor! It’s an honor and a pleasure!”  
  
“King Hime,” Lotor greeted him in turn. “The honor is all mine. I’ve brought the supplies you requested, and the medicine."

The green man gasped in delight while the rest of his people tittered happily, clasping hands with each other and smiling.

“A blessing,” Hime said, bowing again.

“My sentries will unload the cargo, simply leave someone here to direct them where to stow it.”

“Of course, Prince Lotor, of course!” Hime exclaimed. “Are you tired from your journey, or may I show you to the council chambers? Would you care for refreshments? We have a feast planned for you for the evening, but of course if you’re hungry, or require anything at all, we’d be pleased to-”

“No need,” Lotor interrupted. “We can proceed directly to council. Just one moment.” He turned to Shiro, who was looking around wide-eyed. Lotor fished around in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys before tossing them easily towards the man. Shiro caught them on pure instinct, nearly fumbling them to the ground.

“What’s this?” he asked, dumbfounded.

“I thought you may wish to enjoy the scenery, the sunshine. It’s been over a deca-phoeb since you’ve been off a ship, has it not? I take it you know how to operate a hoverbike?”  
  
“I-” Shiro said, still gaping. “I- yes. How long-”

“Take as much time as you like,” Lotor said magnanimously. “But I recommend you not miss the feast at sundown, it’s certain to be spectacular.”

“You honor us, Prince Lotor,” Hime muttered, ducking his head.

“Uh, where-” Shiro started.

“The sentries will show you to the bike,” Lotor said. “Enjoy yourself. King Hime?” he turned back to the man. “Let’s proceed.”

“Of course, Sire,” he said, leading the way to the shuttle that would take them to castle. Lotor resisted the desire to look back at Shiro, to catch another glance at his deliciously confused expression.

“Shouldn’t someone keep an eye on him?” Ezor muttered quietly once they were out of earshot. “What if he doesn’t come back?”

“Where is he going to go?” Lotor replied. There was a pang of fear at the back of his mind that Ezor was right but he pushed it away. If Shiro didn’t return, so be it. As of now the man offered him no strategic advantages, in many ways he was a liability. If he were to suddenly disappear that wouldn’t hurt any of Lotor’s plans one bit. But he was inexplicably fond of Shiro all the same, was holding on to the hope that eventually he could be an ally. Maybe more.

He didn’t speak again until Hime had shown him and his generals to the private council chambers and shut the door behind them.

“Have you accomplished what I’ve asked? Have you found a way to retrieve the Altean ship?”

Hime frowned, blushing. “I- there’s been a setback,” he said carefully, voice reedy and uncertain.

Lotor’s eyebrows drew down in displeasure and Hime flinched. He rushed to explain, flustered under Lotor’s glare.

“The ship is trapped in a time rift, none of our technology can enter it, our sensors can’t penetrate it either. Attempts to pull it out from our end have been unsuccessful. We’re sure now that in order to get inside you’d need a craft made of trans-dimensional materials. But unfortunately that’s entirely outside our capabilities.”

“I see,” Lotor said coldly. “That’s very disappointing.”

“I-” Hime started and broke off. “I’m sorry, Sire.”

Zethrid cracked her knuckles loudly and the small green man jumped, startled. Lotor looked away and stepped over to the large window to take in the view of the central city square laid out below them. It was teeming with people, many of them waving purple streamers. A group of young women were holding up a banner decorated with a surprisingly good likeness of Lotor’s face. There were pink flowers drawn around his head, like a crown.

“I have been a friend to you, have I not?” Lotor asked.

“Yes, Sire-”

“I’ve provided you with supplies, medicine. I’ve given you cloaking technology that keeps your planet hidden from Galra troops, keeps your people safe.”

“Yes-”

“But the one thing I’ve asked you to do, you have not done.”

“Sire-”

“I can’t have that,” Lotor said, turning. The green man shrunk away from him, flushed and sweating profusely. His sweat smelled of freshly cut grass, the sharp scent of it filling the room. “If it were to get out that I allow my friends not to hold up their ends of the bargains we’ve made- well. That would put me in a very difficult position. If failure is all you have for me, I may be forced to withdraw my support.”

“Prince Lotor, please,” Hime begged. “We wouldn’t dream of receiving you empty-handed. We’ve built you a ship, see?” He pressed a few buttons on his wristband and a hologram of a fighter appeared above the large central table. Lotor watched with interest as it revolved slowly in the air. It was a thing of beauty, with elegant lines and articulated engines the likes of which he’d never seen before. “It’s our finest work, the pinnacle of Thermican engineering!”  
  
“It’s a fine gift,” Lotor said slowly. “But it’s not what I’ve asked for.”  
  
“Please! Maybe we have something else that could interest you?”

“Go on.”

Hime licked his lips nervously. He was shaking like a leaf in a storm. “We’ve discovered a cache of Luxite. Surely such a rare mineral could be of value to you? There’s a considerable quantity, this is the biggest find since the original mine was destroyed.”

“Luxite?” Lotor repeated slowly, smiling now. Acxa shifted nervously from foot to foot, crossing her arms over her chest. Zethrid was glowering and Ezor stepped closer to her, putting a hand on her hip. “Now, that does sound promising,” Lotor said at last. “Perhaps our friendship can continue after all.”

Hime let out a sigh of relief, a smile returning easily to his paunchy green face.

 

* * *

 

Shiro took a deep breath, and then another. His eyes were closed and his fingers sunk into the grass and earth beneath him. He was sitting in the shade of a large tree next to a bubbling brook while birds sang in the high branches, their trilling calls as beautiful as any music he’d ever heard. He’d almost forgotten what this felt like- a warm breeze ruffling his hair, sunshine on his face, solid earth beneath his feet. He opened his eyes to see that the sun was getting low, it was nearly time to go back.

He didn’t want to do it. The last few hours had been bliss as he sped through the countryside on the hoverbike, the thrum of the engine beneath him had felt like freedom. It would be so easy to just- stay. Here, on this planet that was so much like Earth, away from the Galra. Away from everyone.

Shiro frowned and sighed. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t just give up on Matt and Sam, his home. Even if he found them, found Earth again, how could he live knowing there was a vast intergalactic empire out there hell-bent on conquering the entire universe? How could he ever feel truly safe again?

Despite it all, Lotor was still his best and, really, only option. But maybe that wasn’t so horrible, Shiro thought as he climbed back on the hoverbike and started the engine. Clearly Lotor wasn’t like the other Galra. He wasn’t needlessly cruel, despite what had happened during their spar and their first meeting. He could have done anything he wanted to Shiro and Shiro wouldn’t have been able to stop him. But Lotor had helped him instead, arranged to rescue him from the lab. Even now he was giving Shiro free reign to wander, use his equipment, access his ship’s database to try and find Earth. He’d brought supplies and medicine to the aliens on this planet. But maybe it was all a smoke screen, a strategic play to get at something he wanted.

Maybe the way he was treating Shiro was calculated too, trying to build his trust. But for what? What value could Shiro possibly have to an intergalactic space prince? Was he completely over exaggerating his own importance, to think that Lotor could possibly want something from him? Something he couldn’t take by force? But maybe he didn't want to. Maybe he enjoyed playing mind games with Shiro, maybe Shiro was just a minor diversion for him.

Shiro’s thoughts were in turmoil as he hit the throttle, heading back. Finding the way was easy, the palace gleamed like a shard of crystal in the distance, reflecting the bright oranges and pinks of the sunset. There was a tall green woman waiting for him when he arrived.

“Master Shiro!” she exclaimed happily, bowing to him as he approached.

Shiro winced. “Just- Shiro.”

“Apologies, Master Just-Shiro,” she said, “it is my honor to welcome any member of Prince Lotor’s delegation to the palace, and to show you to the feast.”

“Uh,” Shiro said, wondering if he should correct her, and how. “Thanks,” he settled on at last, deciding that arguing wasn’t worth the effort.

“This way,” she said with another bow and led him into the palace. Shiro followed her inside, staring in surprise at the decorations. The halls were hung with purple streamers and banners that read “Welcome Prince Lotor!” in bright friendly lettering. Elaborate vases filled with flowers stood on every surface and flower petals were strewn along the edges of the corridors.

“So,” Shiro started carefully. “It looks like you all- uh. Really like Lotor.”

“Prince Lotor is a hero,” the woman said with a wide smile. “He arrived many deca-phoebs ago when his ship crash-landed here. We were in the grips of a plague, in the direct path of the expansion of the evil Galra Empire. We helped him, gave him a ship so he may leave our world. But then he returned! With medicine, and technology to hide us from the Galra. It is only thanks to him that we are still free.”

Shiro frowned at the story. Why would Lotor, a prince of the Galra Empire, hide a race of aliens from the Galra? It didn’t make any sense, unless Lotor and the Empire were working at cross-purposes. Why? Why would a prince work against his own people? Was he on the outs with the Emperor? If Shiro thought about it, the signs were there. Aside from the droids, Lotor’s cruiser was empty of any Galra save his generals. If he was so powerful, where were his soldiers? His fleets? His lands and his subjects? Even these people, who obviously adored him, seemed to be independent, were ruled by their own king.

“Why do you think he helped you?” Shiro asked.

“Some think he’s an angel, sent to protect us in our darkest hour of need.”

“And… do you think that?”

She giggled. “Oh, he’s _far_ too wicked to be an angel,” she sighed like a lovestruck teenager. “The way he-” she broke off with an embarrassed yelp, bringing her hands up to cover her mouth. “But I cannot say! It is too private.” She was blushing, or at least Shiro figured that her cheeks turning bright yellow was a blush, or something like it. “He’s so clever with his hands,” she continued, pitching her voice into a conspiratorial whisper. “And his tongue-”

“You’re right, that sounds private,” Shiro cut her off. But it was too late, now he was thinking about Lotor’s hands, his tongue, how easily he could throw Shiro around, which, under the right circumstances, could be- Nope. Shiro shook his head to clear it. He tugged on his collar to try and loosen it but the alien jumpsuit refused to be adjusted. Shiro’s face felt hot but at least they’d finally arrived.

“Enjoy the feast,” his guide said with a dreamy sigh before leaving him to his own devices.

He stepped into the huge banquet hall and couldn’t help smiling at the festive atmosphere of it all. There were easily hundreds of people gathered around long trestle tables. In the corner a band of musicians played lively jigs on instruments that looked like elaborate trumpets and sounded something like accordions. Shiro walked slowly over to where Lotor and his generals were standing next to a feast table, chatting easily with some Thermicans. Lotor was laughing and holding a tall flute of bubbling liquid. His hair was wilder than usual, his eyes glittering. Was he half in the bag already?  
  
“Shiro!” he called out, waving Shiro over. “I see the sun was unkind to you today,” he said sadly once Shiro was standing beside him.

“...What?”

Lotor casually brushed his fingers over Shiro’s cheek. “You’re red,” he said.

Shiro blushed even harder.

“Here, have a drink,” Zethrid said, offering him a glass like the one Lotor was holding. She grinned knowingly.

“Thanks,” Shiro muttered as he took the glass. It tasted like champagne but floral, sweeter. Maybe he could drink his embarrassment away.

The food was finally brought in half an hour later, just in time because Shiro was starting to feel tipsy. Either his tolerance was completely shot after a year in captivity or this fruity sparkling wine was stronger than it seemed.

He sat between Ezor and Zethrid, by far the most fun and easy-going of Lotor’s generals. The atmosphere was light and full of laughter. He ate his fill of impossibly delicious food, each dish more sumptuous and elaborate than the last. As the night wore on he was surprised to find that he was having _fun_.

A group of Thermicans took the center of the room, engaging in an elaborate game that was something like juggling, throwing brightly colored rods to each other while performing acrobatic tricks. After the first few rounds they dragged the now pink-cheeked Lotor into it. He failed spectacularly, fumbling the very first rod that was tossed to him, and then laughed good-naturedly and bowed to the crowd while everyone cheered.

Shiro found it hard to pull his eyes away from the prince. He was confused, captivated. Was Lotor faking all this somehow, or was this who he really was? Was he really the kind of man who was adored by his generals and these people, whose easy laughter rolled through the room and left everyone smiling? Was he usually this charming? Shiro thought of the woman from earlier. _He has such clever hands_ , she’d said.

“You’re staring,” Zethrid said from beside him.

“I- what?” Shiro sputtered.

“Don’t worry, he has that effect on a lot of people.”

“I’m just-” Shiro moved to deny, but his mind was moving too slowly. “Drunk,” he finished weakly.

“So is he,” Zethrid said with a wink.

Shiro figured he should probably put down the champagne but it was already too late. The rest of the night passed in a colorful blur and before he knew what was happening it was just him and Lotor, half walking and half stumbling to the guest quarters, giggling over something Shiro couldn’t remember. Zethrid must have been behind it, set up the two of them like this, alone in the halls in the middle of the night. Why wasn’t Shiro mad about it? Why did he still feel so damn _good_?

“I think this is you,” Lotor said, pointing at a door. “I’m further down the hall. Somewhere-” he looked around, brow furrowed in confusion.

“Thanks,” Shiro said. He almost left it at that, but the alcohol was making him mouthy and brave, a dangerous combination. “Why do these people think you saved them?” he demanded out of nowhere.

Lotor blinked slowly. “Because I did,” he said. “Is it really so hard to believe that I’m not some kind of monster?” He seemed sad now. He swayed a little, unsteady on his feet.

“Why did you do it?” Shiro pushed.

“Because I wanted to, and because I could.” He seemed so genuine in that moment, his eyes wide and guileless as he looked down at Shiro.

Maybe it really was that simple.

“Oh,” Shiro said. He brought his hand up to the back of Lotor’s neck and pulled him down for a kiss. Lotor made a surprised sound at the back of his throat and then he melted, leaning closer.

They stumbled backwards until Shiro’s back was pressed against the door. He felt hot with desire, his heart beating loud in his ears, blocking out everything else. Lotor tasted of the fruity champagne, his lips were slick and soft. He took control of the kiss, biting gently at Shiro’s lower lip. Shiro shuddered, would have moaned if he’d had the breath to spare. He was dizzy, Lotor’s skin was so hot where they were pressed together. Lotor brought his hand up into Shiro’s hair and pulled to move his head into a better position, making Shiro gasp helplessly.

The moment shattered and Lotor pulled back. They stared at each other wide-eyed in the darkness until Shiro looked down.

“I- good night,” he said, voice hoarse.

“Good night,” Lotor said, taking a step back.

Shiro stumbled inside his room. He shut the door and pressed his back to it, breathing quickly. His heart was racing, he was uncomfortably hard. He wondered if Lotor was still outside, if maybe Shiro could catch up to him, if they could-

He shook his head to try to clear it and ran a hand through his hair. He was starting to realize that he might be totally, completely, _fucked_.

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Next Up: Part IV: Blade of Marmora**
> 
> “Your objections are noted,” Lotor said as he lead the way down the escalator. The Galra stranger, Kolivan, stood as they approached. 
> 
> “Lotor,” he said grimly once they were standing across the flimsy metal table from him. His eyes were narrowed with distrust and he held himself carefully, like he was ready to strike at any moment.
> 
> “Kolivan,” Lotor said with a shallow nod.
> 
> Shiro could hardly believe they were having some kind of showdown in the middle of a mall food court. A child at the neighboring table spilled his drink and started bawling while his parents desperately tried to get him to calm down. Audio speakers arranged at the edges of the gallery played tinny music that reminded Shiro of old jazz. An elderly woman with five eyes rolled past in a scooter, the back of which was stuffed full with shopping bags.


	4. Part IV: Blade of Marmora

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “This is a terrible idea,” Acxa said. “We should leave, now. Before this deal goes bad.”
> 
> “Your objections are noted,” Lotor said as he lead the way down the escalator. The Galra stranger, Kolivan, stood as they approached. 
> 
> “Lotor,” he said grimly once they were standing across the flimsy metal table from him. His eyes were narrowed with distrust and he held himself carefully, like he was ready to strike at any moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the beta, [Lutz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lutz/pseuds/lutz)!

 

* * *

 

Shiro tried to focus on the star charts and not on the fact that he’d kissed Lotor. It was impossible, of course. He found himself thinking about it all the time, wondering if his attraction was just some kind of stockholm syndrome, or if maybe it was real. Lotor didn’t mention it, either because he was being tactful or because he simply didn’t remember. Shiro didn’t know if he was happy about that or disappointed. Mostly he just waited quietly, hoping for the attraction to fade.

He spent his time looking for Earth, training with Zethrid, practicing piloting the Galra-style fighters by racing Ezor and Narti through asteroid fields. Lotor was frequently absent, as was Acxa. Sometimes he invited Shiro along to simple missions. These always went off without a hitch and usually involved delivering or picking up cargo from idyllic planets at the outer reaches of the Empire. Shiro was never asked to come to the missions that resulted in Lotor and his generals returning bruised and bloodied, their armor scuffed and streaked with soot, their ships damaged.

Shiro wondered what Lotor and his team were up to. What where they hiding? Was it possible that Lotor was putting on the facade of a gracious courtier where Shiro could see, and the rest of the time he was out subjugating planets for the Galra Empire? But why would Lotor bother hiding or sneaking around when he held all the cards?

Shiro needed to know where he stood, why Lotor was keeping him around. Was he a prisoner or something closer to a long-term house-guest, or even- a pet? He had no idea what was expected of him, no instructions on what to do, or not do. He was free to wander, to spend his time as he chose. No room was off-limits to him on the ship, not even the bridge. After another fruitless day spent pouring over the charts he steeled himself and headed into Lotor’s command center.

“-this is no longer a discussion,” Lotor was saying sharply to his gathered generals as Shiro walked in. They were standing around a holo-table that was displaying a slowly revolving starscape.

Acxa’s head jerked up and within a split second Shiro was staring down the barrel of five critical glares. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall just inside the door, staring back at them with his chin tilted up defiantly. Lotor narrowed his eyes and slowly turned back to the table they were gathered around without saying a word. 

“This is the plan,” he started.

“Lotor,” Acxa hissed, staring at Shiro.

“ _Acxa_ ,” Lotor said sharply, flashing a hot glance at her before turning back to the chart and starting his explanation, pointing. “Narti and Zethrid, you’ll be waiting here with the crates. Ezor- stay with the ship while we’re gone, keep the long-range scanners running on all frequencies to make sure we’re not surprised. Acxa and I will meet the Blades here.”

Shiro slowly walked closer until he could see the chart clearly. It was nothing he recognized but he listened closely to Lotor’s explanation all the same.

“Is that understood?” Lotor asked when he was finished, looking around to see everyone’s hesitant nods. “Any questions?”

“I want to come with you,” Shiro said at last. His heart was pounding, his human palm growing sweaty. This was a terrible idea, but he had to know where he stood, what the hell Lotor and his team were doing when Shiro wasn’t around.

Lotor stared at him, expression unreadable. The other generals didn’t have anything to add either, too shocked at the request.

“Fine,” Lotor said at last, and the room exploded with protests.

“We can’t trust him!” Acxa cried out.

“Is he even fully recovered from Haggar’s lab?” Zethrid asked.

“What if someone recognizes him?” Ezor chimed in.

Narti stayed mute as usual but her cat hissed, showing off its wicked fangs.

“That’s enough,” Lotor cut them off with a shake of his head. “Shiro- this is going to be dangerous. Are you sure about this?” 

Shiro clenched his fists and hoped he wasn’t making a huge mistake. “Yes,” he said.

“Then it’s settled,” Lotor said. “Shiro will be with me and Acxa. Let’s get ready to go.”

 

* * *

 

“Are we in the right place?” Shiro asked, looking around. 

The hardest thing to wrap his head around was the normalcy of it all. They were in a mall. The mall was in space and full of aliens and strange alien goods, but at the end of the day- it was a mall, just like any other he’d been to. The halls were wide and paved with beige tiles, the corridors were lined with brightly lit stores. Small kiosks were set up in clusters throughout the corridors. As they passed a kiosk selling mugs featuring jokey slogans a man at a neighboring stall tried to aggressively catch their attention, offering lotion and hand massages and a tonic that would make their fingernails shine. 

“Yes,” Lotor said.

“I don’t like this,” Acxa muttered. “We’re too exposed here. There are too many witnesses.”

“We’re unlikely to be recognized,” Lotor said. “And even if we are, the swap-moon is in neutral territory. We have as much right to be here as anyone else.”

“That’s not the part I’m worried about,” Acxa said. 

Neither she nor Lotor were dressed in their characteristic bulky armor, but in more sleek and understated versions of the same. There were no purple-orange color accents or insignia to mark them as anything other than civilians. Acxa wore a fashionable shawl wrapped around her shoulders to conceal the numerous weapons she was no doubt armed with. Lotor was wearing a long sleeveless hooded coat, probably for the same reason. His distinctive hair was tied back and hidden under the hood, his eyes were shaded by sunglasses. At Lotor’s insistence Shiro himself was wearing a bulky jacket over his spacesuit and a triangular visor that covered most of his face. The blaster strapped to his hip felt heavy, oddly hot. He couldn’t stop being aware of it, wondering what exactly he’d gotten himself into.

Acxa raised her hand to her ear, listening intently. “Zethrid and Narti are in position. There are ships approaching their location now.”

“Good,” Lotor nodded. “And there’s Kolivan. Right on time.” He pointed down into the food court at a tall Galra man that was getting settled at a table in front of Vrepit Sal’s. He was dressed in a hooded cloak that only made him more conspicuous. He seemed nervous and shifty as he looked around. 

“This is a terrible idea,” Acxa said. “We should leave, now. Before this deal goes bad.”

“Your objections are noted,” Lotor said as he lead the way down the escalator. The Galra stranger, Kolivan, stood as they approached. 

“Lotor,” he said grimly once they were standing across the flimsy metal table from him. His eyes were narrowed with distrust and he held himself carefully, like he was ready to strike at any moment.

“Kolivan,” Lotor said with a shallow nod.

Shiro could hardly believe they were having some kind of showdown in the middle of a mall food court. A child at the neighboring table spilled his drink and started bawling while his parents desperately tried to get him to calm down. Audio speakers arranged at the edges of the gallery played tinny music that reminded Shiro of old jazz. An elderly woman with five eyes rolled past in a scooter, the back of which was stuffed full with shopping bags.

“Do you have it?” Lotor asked.

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”

“Show me.”

Kolivan reached into his cloak and Acxa tensed, her hand dropping into her pocket. Kolivan paused as he watched her.

“Easy,” Lotor said, putting his hand on Acxa’s shoulder. “Kolivan wouldn’t try anything in the middle of all these nice people.” He smiled, but it was a tense thin lipped grimace that didn't inspire Shiro with much confidence.

“He’s tried to kill you before,” Acxa said, glaring daggers at the tall stranger.

“But now we’re on the cusp of a deal that we both stand to benefit greatly from. Isn’t that so?”

Kolivan nodded slowly, carefully pulling his hand out of his cloak. He was holding a black case about the size of a business-card holder. Lotor pressed a small handheld device against it and they waited for a few tense moments until the device beeped.

“Now it’s your turn,” Kolivan said.

“Zethrid,” Lotor spoke into his intercom. “Show them the Luxite.”

They waited again until Kolivan nodded, no doubt receiving audio transmissions from his own team.

“Everything seems to be in order,” Lotor said. “It’s been-” he was cut off by a frantic beeping from his gauntlet and frowned as he listened to a message Shiro couldn’t hear. Kolivan swore, drawing back. Suddenly Lotor was vaulting over the cafeteria table and punching Kolivan in the face before the other Galra could react. He dropped the black case in shock and Acxa scooped it up, sliding it into a hidden compartment in her clothes before drawing two blasters.

The civilians around them finally caught on that something bad was happening and started screaming, scrambling to run away. Not everyone ran- half a dozen Galra stood, drawing their own weapons. Shiro looked around nervously. They were outnumbered more than two to one. 

“You’re trying to steal my ship?” Lotor hissed, shaking Kolivan by the edges of his cloak. 

“You would have done the same,” Kolivan growled before roughly shoving Lotor off him.

The enemy Galra opened fire and Acxa ducked, shooting back. Shiro had a split second to react and he did the only thing he could think of, he activated his Galra arm and grabbed the metal table, hurling it at two of their attackers. Shocked, they didn’t have time to scramble away and were knocked down with a loud clang.

“Let’s go!” Lotor yelled, he was up and firing now too.

Shiro scrambled to keep up with Lotor’s loping stride. The prince pulled a small device out of his pocket and threw it blindly behind them; a split second later an explosion rocked the now-empty food court. Shiro stumbled, falling, but Lotor grabbed the back of his jacket and hauled him up without breaking stride. He activated his thrusters and they vaulted up into the second floor gallery of the mall. Acxa did the same, following easily. 

“I told you the Blades couldn’t be trusted!” she bit out as she ran.

“Noted!” Lotor yelled back.

By the time they made it to their fighters Shiro was out of breath and had a painful stitch in his side. He climbed into his ship, starting the ignition sequence. As soon as he switched out his visor for his helmet he was overwhelmed by the transmissions of the rest of Lotor’s team. He could hear static and gunfire through the line.

“Ezor, what’s your status?” Shiro heard Lotor ask through the intercom.

“Bad!” Ezor yelled. “I’ve launched the drones but they’ve infiltrated the ship. Thrusters are down, nav is down. I can hold out but I need backup! _Soon!_ ”

“Narti and I got out, barely,” Zethrid panted. “We’re on our way. We should be at your position in fifteen doboshes.”

“Hurry!”

Lotor launched his ship and Shiro and Acxa followed close behind. Shiro’s hands were shaking with adrenaline. For a long time there was nothing but static and the occasional distant scream, but then his sensors went off. They were being followed.

“There’s five of them,” Acxa said. She sounded calm, centered.

“Evasive pattern delta,” Lotor ordered.

Shiro had no fucking clue what that was supposed to mean so he just picked a direction at random and rolled the fighter, trying to make himself into a more difficult target. It was pure luck that kept his ship from being destroyed in the first volley. 

“I’ll draw them away,” Lotor said. “The two of you need to get back to the cruiser.”

“I’m not leaving you,” Acxa bit out. 

There was a bright flash of light as a laser connected with Lotor’s ship.

“Lotor!” Acxa cried out, her voice filled with panic.

“I’m fine,” he gritted out, but he sounded strained, maybe in pain. “You have your orders, go!”

“Lotor-”

“You have the disc! If we lose it this was all for nothing. Go, secure the ship. Come for me after.” 

Shiro looked up- he could see Lotor’s ship in front of him. The tip of one wing was blown off, venting smoke into the vacuum of space. The ship was veering erratically, like Lotor wasn’t entirely in control. Without thinking too hard about what the hell he was doing Shiro activated the thrusters at the bottom of his ship, throwing himself rapidly upwards and turning until he was facing the oncoming fighters. “Go,” he said into the comms, “I’ve got him.” He opened fire. 

He took out one ship by pure chance before banking left, circling around Lotor’s limping craft before coming around for another pass. Acxa opened up the throttle without further argument and left them behind.

“What are you doing?” Lotor demanded, but Shiro didn’t answer. He needed his full concentration to get through this. He’d never been in a space battle, never even done a simulation like it. All he knew was flying fighter jets in Earth’s atmosphere and what little practice he’d had with Ezor and Narti.

He managed to evade enemy lasers, his oncoming fire scattering them out of their orderly formation. After that he started trying to pick them off one by one, keeping a generous distance from Lotor’s ship to draw their fire. 

“What’s your status?” he asked.

“Sensors are down,” Lotor bit out. “My engines are overheating. I need to land, before this thing explodes.”

Shiro spared a look at his instruments and saw that they were heading past a barren moon.

“Bank left,” he said. “There’s a moon, almost in visual range.”

“Understood.” 

There were only two fighters left in pursuit and they fell back, regrouping. For a moment there was peace. Shiro looped his ship around, flying ahead of Lotor to lead him to the landing site. Once the moon was in full view Shiro turned back to try and get a visual on the enemy crafts. They were still following but hanging back now, which made Shiro nervous. Why weren’t they pressing their advantage?

He found out why soon enough, when one of them launched a small but lethal looking projectile. 

“Look out!” Shiro cried, swerving out of the way. It was too late, the torpedo connected with Lotor’s ship. The explosion he’d been expecting never came, instead Lotor’s ship was enveloped in a shower of sparks. He heard Lotor scream over the comms, and then there was silence. His thrusters died suddenly but his momentum kept him hurtling towards the moon. His ship fell like a rock towards the surface.

Shiro made to follow but the fighters were coming after him now and by the time he managed to shoot them down Lotor was gone.

 

* * *

 

“Lotor?” Shiro asked into the comms, but there was only static. He couldn’t hear the generals either, maybe he’d been too close to the electromagnetic pulse, or whatever it had been, and his transmitter had been damaged. It took him almost an hour to locate the wreckage of Lotor’s ship. He landed and searched through the rubble. The remains of the cockpit were stained with blood but there was no sign of a body. 

“Lotor?” he asked again. No answer. He looked for footprints, anything to show where Lotor may have gone, if he’d survived. There was nothing.

Shiro stood, scanning the barren landscape. If it were him, he’d stay by the wreckage in the hope that it would make it easier for rescuers to find him. But if he was being pursued by people trying to kill him that course of action would be a death sentence. Lotor had no way of knowing that Shiro had destroyed the rest of the fighters, so maybe he’d chosen to hide instead.

There were cliffs in the distance. It was a better chance at shelter than anything else on the godforsaken moon. Shiro climbed back into his fighter and set the slowest pace he could so he could still scan the landscape for any sign of Lotor. His best hope was that when he got close enough he’d be able to hail him on the comms. Shiro was too afraid to try until he reached the foot of the cliffs and landed his ship. What would he do if there was no answer? The moon was dark, the sky full of stars. He could keep searching blindly but his chances at success were slim.

“Lotor?” he tried again. 

For a long time there was only static, and then a soft clicking noise. “Shiro?” he heard Lotor’s weak voice. Shiro almost laughed with relief, leaning against the fighter.

“Where are you?” he asked.

“I don’t know. In a cave.” His sentences were clipped short, like every word was costing him.

“I’m here,” Shiro said. “How do I find you?”

There was a long pause and Shiro grew worried before he saw a faint purple glow flare in the distance. “I see something glowing,” he said, excited. “Is that you?”

“Yes.”

Shiro wasted no more time, clambering over rocks and using the thrusters to jump past sheer cliffs. Soon he was standing at the mouth of a cave, a flare sparking just inside.

“Lotor?” he asked quietly as he ducked in. Shiro’s suit must have been compromised, ripped somewhere, because suddenly he was overwhelmed by the stink of blood and sweat. His breath came quick, a primal fear rising in him. 

“Here,” he heard, in his earpiece and just ahead. He walked further in until he reached Lotor, huddled up against the far wall. The only light came from the flare twenty feet away but it was enough for Shiro to tell that it was bad. Lotor was taking quick shallow breaths with his eyes screwed tightly shut.

Shiro knelt beside him and placed his hand gingerly on Lotor’s shoulder.

“Let me see,” he said. 

Lotor looked at him, eyes glittering in the darkness. If Shiro didn’t know better, he’d think Lotor was afraid. His helmet was gone and there was a large bloody mark over his face but Shiro wasn’t sure if it was a wound or just a stain. He focused on where Lotor was pressing the remains of his tattered coat against his side. His fingers were stained black in the darkness, he was shaking. Carefully, Shiro pulled Lotor’s hand away and Lotor dropped his head back against the cave wall, groaning. His whole side was stained and slick with blood and Shiro felt his gut sinking. Instinctively he knew this was bad. The kind of bad that people didn’t come back from.

He activated his Galra arm so he could get some more light. “Fuck,” he said, staring at the deep gash in Lotor’s side, still leaking blood. “I’ll have to cauterize it.”

“Do it,” Lotor gritted out through clenched teeth.

Shiro hesitated, a cold sweat breaking out over his forehead and back. Lotor reached out and grabbed Shiro by the wrist before pressing his still-glowing hand to his side. His agonized scream chilled Shiro to the bone, the smell of burning flesh rising sharp in his nostrils. He jerked back in shock, the glow fading until they were sitting in almost total darkness. Lotor was curled in on himself again, his sharp wet gasps filling the cave. Shiro was shaken but he forced himself to focus. They needed to get back to the main ship as soon as possible.

“Thank you for making it easy for me.”

Shiro sprung to his feet, activating his Galra arm and drawing his blaster as he put himself between Lotor and the stranger. 

“Kolivan,” Lotor muttered from behind him.

“Don’t come any closer,” Shiro warned.

The man’s eyes flickered over to Shiro. He was holding a dagger that glowed ominously in the darkness. “This has nothing to do with you. Stand aside.”

“No.”

“So the rumors are true,” Kolivan sneered. “Lotor’s found himself another dog to run at his heels.” He shifted his weight carefully. 

“I mean it, stay back!” 

“Why are you defending him? You know nothing about him, what he’s trying to achieve.” 

“I know even less about you,” Shiro bit out. “Except that your people opened fire in the middle of a crowd of civilians, and apparently you’re not very good at holding up your end of a bargain.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Shiro’s eyes narrowed as he watched Kolivan carefully inching closer. “I don’t want to kill you,” Shiro said coldly, “but this is your last warning.”

“So be it,” Kolivan said and lunged.

Shiro fired at him, the sound of the blaster echoing loudly through the tiny cave. The Galra was too fast, ducking out of the way of every shot. When he was within arms reach Shiro dropped the blaster and raised his glowing arm. Kolivan’s knife skittered off it, throwing up a shower of sparks. Shiro grunted as he felt Kolivan’s fist connect with his gut like a freight train. He fell back, stunned.

His only respite was that Kolivan wasn’t focused on him. When Shiro faltered the enemy Galra moved past him, towards where Lotor lay. Shiro recovered in time to grab Kolivan by the wrist, swinging him around to toss him against a cave wall. Kolivan hit it with a grunt and fell, groaning as he fought to stand up. Shiro wished he hadn’t dropped the blaster but it was too late to look for it now. He took a few steps forward, trying to keep Kolivan well back from Lotor.

The man had recovered and drawn back a little. He stared at Shiro with narrowed eyes, recognizing him now for the threat he was. He seemed to hesitate, but then he kicked the flare out of the cave, plunging them into a deeper darkness. The only light now came from Shiro’s arm and it was unreliable at best. With each movement the shadows around the cave shifted ominously, making it difficult to make out what was happening. That was when Kolivan attacked.

His full attention was on Shiro now, and it was all Shiro could do to keep him at bay. If he wasn’t completely focused on staying alive he would have been terrified. As it was, adrenaline sang through him and all he could do was parry Kolivan’s blows. With Shiro’s Galra arm he had an advantage when it came to raw power, but Kolivan had longer reach, better stamina. Soon Shiro found himself flagging, no matter what he did he couldn’t keep Kolivan from slowly pushing him back into the cave. Shiro missed a feint and then he was grunting as Kolivan slammed him to the ground, knife poised at this throat.

Shiro blocked the first jab with his palm, crying out as the knife skittered over the glowing metal and slashed into his shoulder instead. Kolivan punched him in the jaw, leaving him dazed, and raised his blade for a killing blow. 

A blaster shot rang out in the small cave, the sound ricocheting off the walls. Kolivan’s weight was suddenly off Shiro, he was clutching at his shoulder and slowly easing himself back. Confused, Shiro looked around to see Lotor. He was shaking so bad his teeth were chattering, but the hand holding the blaster was steady as a rock. Despite the gaping hole in his side, the blood loss, the pain, he’d managed to pull himself together enough to get to the weapon and shoot Kolivan off Shiro.

Kolivan stared at them for a long moment, eyes narrowed as he considered his odds. Evidently whatever he saw in Shiro’s resolute expression, in Lotor’s, had him moving slowly backwards and away. And then he was gone into the night.

Lotor groaned, falling to the ground. The blaster clattered to the stone and Shiro grabbed it before moving to the cave mouth to investigate. Kolivan was gone, no one else waited to ambush them. He could see his fighter gleaming in the starlight at the bottom of the cliffs, waiting. Holstering the blaster, he headed back inside. 

He crouched beside Lotor and carefully brushed some sweaty tendrils of hair back from his forehead. “Hey,” he said quietly. 

Lotor frowned but didn’t open his eyes. His breathing was weak, reedy. His skin was cold and clammy, he’d lost too much blood. Shiro was seized with fear that after everything he’d done it could have all been for nothing. Lotor could still die and Shiro wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.

“Hey,” he said louder, giving Lotor’s shoulder a little shake. “We have to get you back to the ship. Can you walk?”

“No,” Lotor managed.

“Ok,” Shiro said uncertainly. “Ok.” He gently ran his hands over Lotor’s body, trying to figure out where else he was hurt, how he could carry him in a way that would cause the least pain. The wound in his side was the main worry, but at least it wasn’t bleeding any more. Shiro steeled himself as he slid an arm under Lotor’s shoulders. “Hold on tight,” he said, helping Lotor hook his elbow around Shiro’s neck, moving his Galra arm under Lotor’s knees. 

Lotor made a gut-wrenching sound when Shiro stood, holding him carefully. Shiro knew instinctively that if the prince had had the strength it would have been a scream. He walked as carefully as he could, trying not to jostle him any more than he had to. At some point Lotor must have passed out because he was silent as Shiro used his thrusters to make it down the cliff in a few controlled leaps.

Shiro wasn’t sure what was worse, hearing his agony or the uncertainty of his silence. He got Lotor buckled into the co-pilot’s seat as best he could before slapping him gently on the face.

“Stay with me,” Shiro said. Lotor groaned and opened his eyes. “Keep talking, stay awake.”

“Why?” Lotor managed as Shiro started the ignition sequence. 

“You might have a concussion,” Shiro said. But the truth was he was afraid, absolutely terrified that Lotor would die on him at any moment and needed the reassurance of hearing him speak, breathe.

He launched the fighter off the godforsaken moon and turned them towards the last known location of Lotor’s cruiser. He didn’t let himself wonder why no one had come for them, what that could mean. He didn’t think about the possibility that the cruiser might be destroyed and Lotor’s generals dead. He didn’t think about the fact that there may be no one left to help them. 

“Why did you save me?” Lotor managed. He seemed genuinely surprised around the pain.

Shiro opened up the throttle, going as fast as he could. “Pretty sure if I came back without you Acxa would gut me.”

Lotor laughed a little, the sound weak and reedy. “That she might,” he said quietly. 

It was a tense half-hour before they reached Lotor’s cruiser. It was dark, floating dead in space surrounded by the debris of dozens of destroyed fighters.

“Shiro to mothership,” Shiro tried. “Requesting permission to land.” 

There was only static.

“Shiro to mothership,” he tried again, louder. “I have Lotor, requesting permission to land. We need help.”

Static, but Shiro thought he saw movement in the belly of the cruiser. He squinted, bringing his fighter in closer. The hangar door was opening slowly, the inside illuminated by flashing emergency lights. Shiro hoped he wasn’t flying into a trap as he guided his fighter inside. As the ship floated past the threshold Shiro was happy to see the forcefield sparkling over the metal. The cruiser was still pressurised. At least that was one less thing to worry about.

He landed, opened the cockpit and stood. The hangar seemed empty, but someone had to have been here to open it. Maybe they were just as wary as he was, waiting in ambush in case he turned out to be an enemy.

“I need some help over here!” Shiro shouted, waving his arms.

“Shiro?” he heard, and Zethrid stepped out from behind a large stack of crates, holding a blaster big enough it could probably take out a small ship with one shot. 

“Thank god,” Shiro said. “I need help.”

She activated her thrusters, leaping up easily towards him.

“You really do have him,” she breathed, wide eyed as she stared at Lotor passed out in the co-pilot’s seat. He was still breathing but just barely. Shiro didn’t think it was possible, but he was even more pale than before.

“He’s in bad shape,” Shiro said, taking off his helmet and dropping it haphazardly to the floor. “I don’t know if you have some kind of advanced medicine, but he needs every bit of it, _now_.” 

“I’ve got him,” Zethrid said, gently freeing Lotor from the straps and picking him up in her muscled arms. It was clear that she had it under control now and Shiro felt some of the weight of responsibility slough off his shoulders. But the fear was still there, the worry. He followed Zethrid as she loped through the halls towards a room that looked like a lab and watched as she gingerly lowered Lotor into some kind of pod. There were other pods beside it, humming softly. Acxa lay in one, Narti in another. Her cat Kova was pacing on top of it, not even sparing them a glance as they stood nearby.

“Where’s Ezor?” Shiro asked, afraid of the answer.

“She’s fine,” Zethrid said with a small smile. “She’s trying to repair the main power coupling so we can get the hell out of this killing field.” 

Shiro startled when she pulled him into an embrace. She was so much bigger than him that it was like being hugged by a warm furry boulder. She put her giant hand gently on the back of his head and he relaxed, bringing his arms around her as much as he was able. He was shaking now as adrenaline left his system. He was so exhausted he thought he might pass out at any moment. 

“You did good today, Champion,” Zethrid said as she drew back. “Shiro,” she corrected with a small smile.

“Thanks,” he said, but he was even more confused now than he had been before.

 

* * *

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Next Up: Part V: Earth**
> 
> “I want to know what that mission was about,” Shiro said. “I want to know what was on the disc.”
> 
> “Maybe we should wait for Lotor-” Zethrid started.
> 
> “No,” Acxa bit out, cutting her off. “You want to know, Champion?” she asked, tone harsh, bitter. “Here-” she said, turning to the computer. “This is what’s on the disc.”
> 
> She typed something into the access panel and a hologram appeared, floating in the air. Shiro gasped. It was- Earth.


	5. Part V: Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I want to know what that mission was about,” Shiro said. “I want to know what was on the disc.”
> 
> “Maybe we should wait for Lotor-” Zethrid started.
> 
> “No,” Acxa bit out, cutting her off. “You want to know, Champion?” she asked, tone harsh, bitter. “Here-” she said, turning to the computer. “This is what’s on the disc.”
> 
> She typed something into the access panel and a hologram appeared, floating in the air. Shiro gasped. It was- Earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the beta, [Lutz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lutz/pseuds/lutz)!

 

* * *

 

 

Nearly a week passed before Shiro gathered the courage to try and get some answers. By then Acxa and Narti were recovered and helping with the repairs. He hadn’t seen Lotor at all in that time but he figured no news was good news on that front. If something had happened to him, Shiro was sure his generals wouldn’t be going about business as usual.

He paced outside the bridge for a long moment before finally walking in. Acxa was talking to Zethrid in front of the main computer but she broke off when Shiro entered.

He’d been hoping that Acxa would have warmed up to him a little after he’d saved Lotor, but he had no such luck. She looked at him with suspicion. “What do you want?” she demanded.

“I want to know what that mission was about,” Shiro said. “I want to know what was on the disc.”

“Maybe we should wait for Lotor-” Zethrid started.

“No,” Acxa bit out, cutting her off. “You want to know, Champion?” she asked, her tone harsh, bitter. “Here-” she said, turning to the computer. “This is what’s on the disc.”

She typed something into the access panel and a hologram appeared, floating in the air. Shiro gasped. It was- _Earth_.

“Here are the flight logs from the Commander who captured you,” Acxa said. “And here is your home planet.”

Shiro stared, awestruck. Earth!

Acxa typed something else and a small device popped out of the console, like a flash drive but less than half an inch long. Acxa grabbed it and walked over to him, taking Shiro’s Galra arm before he could react and slapping the device into it, curling his fingers around it.

“The coordinates,” she said, stepping back.

“Acxa,” Zethrid said.

“We nearly _died_ on that mission,” Acxa continued, ignoring her teammate, “ _Lotor_ nearly died. It was stupid, and dangerous, and he would never have agreed to it if it wasn’t for you.” She pointed an accusatory finger at Shiro’s chest. “I don’t know what he sees in you, why he cares so much. But you have what you wanted, now. So maybe it’s time for you to go.”

“Acxa,” Zethrid said, putting a hand on her arm. Acxa shook it off, still glaring at Shiro.

Shiro wasn’t sure how to react and stood there dumbfounded for a long moment, staring at his hand. What was he supposed to do now?

“Thanks,” he muttered and left the room.

“What the hell was that!” he heard Zethrid exclaim before the door shut, cutting off Acxa’s reply.

Shiro wandered the halls aimlessly for a long time until he found himself in the hangar. There were only five fighter ships left after their recent encounter with the Blades. He stayed a while, watching the sentries swarming around a sixth that was under repair. He had the coordinates for Earth now, he could finally go home. He could take a fighter even now, leave Lotor and his generals behind, go look for Matt and Sam. He was sure no one would stop him. But it didn’t feel right. He couldn’t just- leave.

He sat and watched the sentries work for nearly an hour before doing the only thing he could think of. He went to Lotor’s quarters.

“Is he awake?” he asked the sentry posted at the door. The sentry beeped in a way that Shiro took for a yes. “May I go inside?”

The sentry stood silent for a moment and then the door opened and Shiro stepped in.

Lotor’s quarters were spacious, elegantly furnished. An elaborate rug covered the floor, a dining table and chairs were set up next to a large window that looked out into space. Shelves lined the walls, filled with beautiful trinkets and various odds and ends. The room was dominated by a huge bed set into an alcove in the far wall, framed by richly embroidered curtains tied back to ornate bedposts. Lotor was reclining on the bed against a small pile of pillows. He looked much better than he had the last time Shiro had seen him. He was clean for one, and his color had returned.

He was barefoot and bare-chested with a bright white bandage wrapped around his middle, wearing only a soft pair of pants like pajamas but more elegant, the fabric smooth and catching the light like silk. His hair was pulled back into a loose braid that draped over his shoulder. He looked up from his datapad when Shiro entered, setting it to the side.

“Shiro,” he greeted him.

“Lotor,” Shiro said in response. He found it difficult to look away from the sculpted planes of Lotor’s chest, his muscular arms.

“What do you need?”

“I-” Shiro started, then swallowed loudly. “I want to know what’s going on.”

“What do you mean?”

“What are you doing?” Shiro asked. “Why are you making deals with people who want to kill you? Are you-” he wasn’t sure how to phrase it and settled for the simplest way possible. “Are you working against the Galra Empire?”

Lotor was silent for a long moment, staring at him with piercing purple eyes.

“Yes,” he said at last.

“Why?”

Lotor smiled wryly. “Any fool can see the Galra are out of control,” he said. “I’ve been alive for a long time. I can still remember when the Galra were- well. Not _this_. We used to have honor. We used to be better. The Emperor is mad, pushing the Galra to extremes, pushing us into being the monsters of the universe. It isn’t right. He’ll push us until we’re all destroyed, or the universe is. As his son it is my duty to do right by our people. By everyone. I’m trying to find a way for the bloodshed to end.”

Shiro frowned as he listened. He so wanted to believe Lotor, but it was difficult when he was saying everything Shiro wanted to hear.

“And what about this latest mission? Acxa showed me the data, showed me Earth. Was that really why you went through with it? To help me get home?”

Lotor smiled again. “Forgive me, Shiro,” he said quietly. “But- no. Knowing that the coordinates of your home planet may be on there helped sway me to go through with the deal, but it wasn’t my only consideration. There is a lot of data on that disc that can help me reach my goals. I want to help you. That may be difficult for you to believe, but I do. And still, I would not risk my life, or the lives of my generals only for that.”

“I understand,” Shiro said, nodding. If anything, he was relieved to hear something that sounded like honesty. “So what am I supposed to do?” he asked, looking up. “I have the coordinates of my home planet now. Do you want me to leave?”

Lotor paused for a long moment, lost as he stared at something in the distance. “You saved my life,” he said at last, his voice hoarse. He refused to meet Shiro’s eyes. “You’ve proven yourself to be an asset. I don’t want to lose you, but I won’t stand in your way.”

“I see,” Shiro said, disappointed, though he wasn’t entirely sure why. What had he been hoping for? What did he want Lotor to say? He turned to leave the room but drew up short when Lotor said-

“ _Shiro_.”

The word seemed heavy somehow. There was something in his voice, something Shiro couldn’t decipher. It felt like maybe Lotor wanted him to stay but was afraid to ask. He turned slowly to see Lotor staring at him. His gaze was hot, intense in a way Shiro wasn’t prepared for. He felt his breath come faster, felt his heart speed up. Without thinking about it he found himself taking a step towards Lotor, and then another.

The prince didn’t say anything else, just stared. His cheeks were pink, the flush spreading down his neck, lower. Shiro was captivated at the way Lotor’s chest rose and fell- faster, maybe, than just a few moments ago- the sharp contrast of white bandages against purple skin. Somehow it felt like an invitation, one that Shiro didn’t want to refuse. He walked closer until he was standing at the edge of the bed, then carefully put his knee on the mattress.

Lotor only watched as Shiro put his hand down to brace himself, moved forward until Lotor was just below him, staring at him wide-eyed. Lotor raised his hand to the side of Shiro’s face. His skin was shockingly hot and Shiro felt an answering heat rising within him. Slowly, just slowly enough that they could still stop this, Shiro leaned down until their lips were a hair-breadth away. Lotor slid his hand behind Shiro’s neck and then they were kissing, cautiously at first, then more desperately.

Shiro wanted to be closer and shifted until his knee was between Lotor’s thighs. He was careful to stay away from the bandages, careful as he sank his hands deep into Lotor’s hair. The prince moaned, arching closer with a sharp gasp. Shiro felt Lotor’s arms wrapping around his back and lowered himself gingerly until they were pressed together. Being here, with Lotor’s chest rising and falling against his own, was strange, heady. Shiro was dizzy. All his doubts, his fears, were gone. All that was left was Lotor’s powerful body beneath him, the man’s breathy bit-off gasps as Shiro shifted to press open-mouthed kisses against his neck, his shoulders, lower.

He braced his Galra arm against the bed as he stroked Lotor’s body with his human hand, enjoying the man’s shuddering as he found particularly sensitive spots- his side, his nipples, the crease between his torso and groin. There was no sense of urgency, no rush, just slow exploration. Shiro felt like he had all the time in the world. He slid down to kiss Lotor’s stomach, his abs quivering beneath Shiro’s lips, and then he carefully peeled Lotor’s pants down, sliding the fabric past his muscled thighs, his calves, until he was throwing the pants away onto the ground.

Lotor’s cock sprang free, not so different to Shiro’s own. Longer, perhaps, a little thinner. It was marked with shallow ridges at the tip, a thicker base than Shiro was used to. Clear liquid was leaking from the tip and Shiro leaned in for a taste, surprised to find it oddly pleasant, almost sweet.

Lotor gasped, arching his back, his hands flying to Shiro’s shoulders and then to the back of his head. Shiro licked slowly, carefully, while Lotor shook apart beneath him, his quiet bit-off moans only making Shiro grow harder. Finally he engulfed the full length in his mouth, as far as he could take. Lotor shuddered, his moan echoing through the quiet room.

Shiro felt odd as he set a slow rhythm. He was hot, more aroused than he’d ever been in his life, his whole body shaking. He wondered absently if this was normal, if he should take this slow. He couldn't. He wanted more, he wanted everything. He sped up and let his hands run over Lotor’s body.

“Come here,” Lotor gasped, sinking a hand into his hair to tug him upwards.

Shiro went, obeying the pull until he was kissing Lotor again, their lips sliding slick against each other. Shiro pulled back just long enough to strip his clothes off, every moment they weren’t touching felt like agony. He moaned when their naked chests pressed together, couldn’t help shuddering as he shifted closer and his cock slid into the crease of Lotor’s thigh. He’d never been this hard before, never wanted it this badly.

Lotor’s cock was still leaking slick fluid and Shiro gathered as much as he could on his fingers before reaching down to press inside himself, getting himself ready. He moaned, tipping forward until his face was cradled in the curve of Lotor’s neck. Lotor caressed Shiro’s back and hair while he fingered himself open, desperate for it.

It felt like ages, decades, until he was ready, and then he was shifting to take Lotor’s cock in its entirety in one smooth motion. He groaned, throwing his head back, bracing himself against Lotor’s shoulders. The prince gasped, his hands going to grip Shiro by the hips.

“Fuck,” Shiro bit out. He felt so full, felt every inch of Lotor’s cock inside him, every ridge. He was going mad with the heat of it; all he wanted was more, faster. He started moving, fucking himself, moaning with each push.

“That’s it,” Lotor said, breathless. It was impossibly good, each thrust throwing up sparks behind Shiro’s eyelids. He was gasping loudly, on the verge of orgasm already. He wanted to touch himself, wanted to come, wanted this to last forever.

“Wait,” Lotor gasped, “turn over for me. Get on your knees.”

Shiro slowed down, uncertain.

“Your side-” he protested, prudence winning over desire.

“Please,” Lotor said. He looked a mess with his skin flushed, pupils huge, hair escaping its neat braid. His lips were full, glistening. Shiro couldn’t argue with that. He moved, sighing as he slid off Lotor’s cock, and shifted until he was on his hands and knees on the bed. Lotor wasted no time, moving until his front was pressed against Shiro’s back, his knees pushing Shiro’s legs further apart. Shiro groaned as he felt Lotor enter him again, arched his back to take him in deeper.

“That’s it,” Lotor said, reedy and wavering, starting a slow rhythm.

Shiro moaned and moved his hand down to stroke himself, only to bite back a disappointed whine as Lotor grabbed his wrist and pushed it back against the bed.

“Not yet,” he whispered into Shiro’s ear, voice shaking.

“Please,” Shiro groaned as Lotor fucked him open. He wanted to come, needed to. He was on the edge already, so close. But Lotor kept up his punishingly slow pace instead, kept Shiro’s hands trapped in a firm grip against the bed.

“Please, I can’t,” Shiro moaned. He was so hot, so ready. He begged, not sure what exactly he was begging for, not sure of anything other than Lotor moving slowly, so slowly, inside him. His thighs shook, forced open, his hands were fisted in the sheets, wrists trapped in Lotor’s iron grip. It lasted forever, until he was practically sobbing for it.

“You can,” Lotor was saying, “you can do it. Just a little longer, just-”

Shiro keened when he felt Lotor’s hand on him, gripping the base of his cock tightly, holding back his release.

“You’re being so good for me,” Lotor was whispering in his ear.

“Please-”

“That’s it, just a little more, just like that,” and then, finally, Lotor was stroking him. Shiro shuddered, thrusting into his hand, wanting more. He tried to push closer, but whenever he did Lotor pulled back until he was left quivering, waiting desperately for anything Lotor chose to give him, shaking at every touch.

“Let me,” Lotor was gasping, “open up for me.” Shiro gave into it at last, stopped fighting for his release, surrendered to the idea that he’d come when Lotor decided and not sooner. Tension he hadn't noticed he'd been holding loosened until he was left shaking as Lotor fucked him, stroking him towards orgasm. “There it is,” Lotor said, “-just, yes. Come on, come for me.”

He sped up and Shiro bit back a sharp moan, jerking against him. He was so close, so afraid that Lotor would stop at any moment. All he could do was take it, legs spread, speared open on Lotor’s cock. He had no control, was completely at Lotor’s mercy-

“That's it, there, come on-” Lotor was saying, his voice so breathy the words were practically a whisper.

Shiro felt himself reach the point of no return and tip over. His body spasmed and he shuddered, mind going totally blank. He came loudly, gasping desperately for breath. He felt his muscles tensing and releasing like a wave moving through him, felt Lotor, still so hot against him, inside him. Lotor’s fingers tightened over his hips until they were almost painful, his orgasm pulsing deep into Shiro’s body. If he’d been able, Shiro would have come again just from the way Lotor folded over him, the sound he made as he came, the way he bit at Shiro’s shoulder, trembling.

Shiro collapsed on the bed, panting as he tried to catch his breath, coming off a high like he’d never experienced. Lotor pulled out of him with a sigh and dropped down to the bed beside him. The loss of his heat was a devastating shock and Shiro shivered uncontrollably.

“Are you alright?” Lotor asked softly.

Shiro looked over at him. He was exhausted, a little shell-shocked. He’d never felt this way before. Was this normal? He wasn’t sure, could barely think. He reached out slowly to press his hand over Lotor’s heart, feeling the other man’s heartbeat beginning to slow. “Yes,” he managed with a small smile. He traced his fingers down Lotor’s chest, his stomach.

“Shit,” he said as he jolted up, post-coital haze shattering all at once. “You’re bleeding.”

Lotor followed Shiro’s gaze downward, brows furrowed as he looked at the freshly stained bandages around his middle.

“I’m sorry,” Shiro said, “should we get someone? Did you rip your stitches?”

“Stitches?” Lotor asked, confused.

Shiro looked around uncertainly, worried. Should he get more bandages? Call in the sentry? He wasn’t entirely sure he could walk, his knees and thighs were still shaking.

“Shiro,” Lotor said, “Shiro, stop. It’s fine, I’m fine.” He gripped Shiro by the hair and pulled him down for a languid kiss until Shiro forgot what it was he’d been so worried about. “It was worth it,” Lotor said with a wicked smile as he pulled back. “I’d do it again in an instant. In fact - when do you think you’ll be ready for another round?”

Shiro laughed and leaned down to press his body against Lotor’s side, pushing his face into the curve of Lotor’s neck. He was realizing now that he didn’t want to leave. Against all odds, this felt- real.

 

* * *

 

“How are you feeling?” Acxa asked when Lotor walked onto the bridge. He knew he wasn’t imagining the icy reception he was getting from his generals.

“Better,” Lotor said carefully.

“What were you _thinking_ !” Zethrid exploded. “You know the Blades, you know how they operate! You know that I served with them for five deca-phoebs, and yet they _still_ left me for dead when I wasn’t convenient for them any more! How could you think they could be bargained with? Trusted?!”

Lotor stood stoic in the face of her outburst, waiting until she was finished. No Galra Commander would allow their generals to speak to them in such a manner, but Lotor wasn’t like the others. He didn’t wish to encourage anger to fester until it turned into distrust and then, inevitably, insurrection.

He knew Zethrid and the rest of them nearly as well as he knew himself. They needed to yell, to be angry at him in order to release their tension and fear. And then they needed him to reassure them, show them he valued them, that he was acting carefully, strategically, and above all- that he was in control. At the end of it all they’d be just as loyal and dedicated as before, maybe even more so. He’d found that near-death experiences always had a way of bringing people closer together.

Zethrid had run out of things to yell and was staring at him wide-eyed, breathing heavily. She seemed shocked at her own reaction, fearful of his.

“Zethrid,” Lotor said, voice low and calm like he was gentling a startled animal. “Ezor, Narti, Acxa,” he continued, looking at each of them in turn. “I trust you understand I wouldn't have put any of you in this position if it weren’t necessary, and I wouldn’t ask you to do anything that I wouldn’t be willing to do myself. We needed the data and the Blades were our only way of getting it. I understand your feelings on the matter and I didn’t make this decision lightly.”

“We could have gotten it in other ways,” Acxa muttered, but Lotor could tell that she was already softening towards him.

“Perhaps we could have embedded spies into Zarkon’s circle, stolen his command ship’s database one piece at a time over the course of deca-phoebs, running the risk of discovery with each passing quintant. But why should we risk ourselves, when we can instead take advantage of the spy network the Blades already have in place and take everything we need in one decisive move? Things are moving quickly now, we don’t have the luxury of time like we did before Voltron’s return. The Galra Empire is on the brink of fracture, we have to act if we’re to have any hope of preventing a catastrophic civil war.”

Acxa sighed heavily and looked away. “You’re right,” she said quietly. Lotor watched as the rest of the generals seemed to relax, the tension draining out of the room.

“This operation was a calculated risk. In the end we gained much and lost nothing that couldn’t be replaced.” He smiled, looking at Zethrid. “Did the Blades take the Luxite?”

She grinned, eyebrows drawn down. “Oh, they took it alright,” she said. “When we detonated the crates it took out most of their fighters. It’s the only reason we managed to escape.”

“Very good,” Lotor said. “Between that, the losses they suffered in their attack on the cruiser, and the Champion’s assault, this betrayal cost them dearly. They’ll think twice before coming for us again. This was a difficult mission, I know that. It was difficult for all of us. But we’ve dealt a devastating blow to a powerful enemy, and suffered no major losses ourselves. I’d consider this a resounding victory, wouldn’t you?” Lotor looked around at his generals, taking in their pleased expressions. Zethrid seemed proud now, a significant improvement over her earlier frustration.

“Narti,” he asked, “were you able to decrypt the command ship’s data core?”

She nodded, Kova purring at her feet.

“Did we get what we needed?”

She stepped forward and pressed her fingers gently to his hand. Lotor smiled as he saw huge swaths of data scroll past his mind’s eye, the feeling of Narti’s satisfaction thrumming in the background of the vision. He heard the word _yes_ whispering snakelike through him.

“We have the specs on Voltron,” Ezor said excitedly, “and all the information about the lions and their pilots that were in Zarkon’s database. You were right. Voltron is made from trans-dimensional material, so it should be able to enter the time rift and retrieve the comet.”

“And Haggar’s research notes?”

“Large swathes of data are missing,” Acxa said, “but what we do have is considerable.”

“Good,” Lotor said, nodding. “Sort through it, pull out anything about the rift, interdimensional portals, anything that mentions Altean forms of faster than light travel.” He paused, not sure if he wanted to voice his next request. “See if you can find out anything about the Champion, what the witch was trying to achieve with her experiments on him.”

“Why?” Zethrid asked. “Why would it matter? Surely he’ll be going home any quintant now.”

Lotor gave her a thin-lipped smile. “He’s decided to stay. For now, at least.”

“What does that mean, exactly?” Ezor asked. “Is he- one of us now?”

“He’s proven himself to be an asset, and a formidable pilot,” Lotor said. “See that he feels welcome, but keep an eye on him, don’t tell him anything he doesn’t need to know. There’s too much at stake for any needless risks.” He looked around the room as they all nodded their assent.

“Now,” he said, striding over to the main console. He smiled, excitement coursing through him as he contemplated the future. “It’s time to begin the next phase.”

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen, while I may not have said it outright, I have two important headcanons about Galra sex: 1. Galra dick fluid is the perfect lubricant for any occasion and 2. Galra dick fluid is full of pheromones that act as a powerful aphrodisiac on all races ;)
> 
> **Next Up: Part VI: Emperor Pro Tem**
> 
> As they got closer to the command center Shiro dove into the prisoner manifests, spending nearly every waking minute in one of the data labs pouring over the lists. It was entirely fruitless until the day he saw- 
> 
>  _Prisoner 117-9875: Takashi, Shirogane - Arena Slave; “Champion”_  
>  _Status: Location Unknown, Presumed dead._  
>  _Known Associates: Fugitive Prisoner 117-9976; Prisoner 112-0172_  
> 
> The jolt he felt at seeing his own name was overwhelming and for a long time he sat frozen, shaking as he stared at the screen, flashbacks ripping through him. Finally he managed to shut his eyes and turn away. He pressed a hand to his chest over his racing heart and tried desperately to catch his breath.


	6. Part VI: Emperor Pro Tem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Shit, is that-”
> 
> “Prince Lotor?”
> 
> Shiro smiled a little as he stood waiting just behind the corner. The guards in the next room sounded like excited teenagers as they watched the arena fight on a small mobile screen.
> 
> “Throk-” Lotor’s voice rang out, tinny through the speakers, “you wish to challenge me? Then come down and claim your crown.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the beta, [Lutz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lutz/pseuds/lutz)!

 

* * *

 

“You’re still at this? It’s late.”

Shiro looked up from the where he’d been sifting through the data they’d gotten from their deal with the Blades, reading through Zarkon’s prisoner manifests with the hopes of finding Matt and Sam. Lotor was standing behind him, arm casually draped over the back of Shiro’s chair.

“Is there something else I should be doing?” Shiro asked.

“I can think of a number of things,” Lotor said, voice low and suggestive. Shiro felt the tips of his ears burning at Lotor’s tone, his mind falling into the gutter. After their first time together Shiro had been spending practically every night in Lotor’s rooms, and some mornings, afternoons, and evenings as well. He couldn’t stop thinking about him, no matter how often they had sex Shiro just kept wanting more. Lotor seemed equally infatuated, equally excited at any opportunity to press Shiro into the closest easily-available dark corner and plunder his body mercilessly.

“How about a spar?” Lotor asked unexpectedly.

Shiro laughed, looking back to the screen. “Sparring? With _you_? Why, so you can break my legs to teach me a lesson about Galra healing technology?”

“That’s not quite fair,” Lotor said.

“Last time-”

“I’ve apologized for last time, and I think you’d agree it was helpful in the end. And as for the time before that- you’d been trying to kill me then, in case you’d forgotten.” 

“I think I had good reason for concern,” Shiro said, but he was smiling all the same. Sometimes he still woke with nightmares about his time as a Galra prisoner, but those instances were becoming fewer and further between. It seemed like it had all happened a lifetime ago.

“So you trust me to fuck you, but not to spar with you?” Lotor murmured, letting his fingers trail through the loose hair at the nape of Shiro’s neck. Shiro felt goosebumps rise over his skin and had to suppress a shiver. “Come, I’m curious to see what Zethrid has been teaching you.”

“Alright,” Shiro said at last, standing. Over the past few weeks he’d spent a lot of time training with Lotor’s generals. Zethrid, in particular, seemed to gain a certain satisfaction from teaching Shiro counter-moves to Lotor’s most favored attacks. He was feeling confident, hoping to show the prince up at his own game.

They went down to the training deck and put on their gloves.

“Rules?” Shiro asked with a grin.

“No weapons,” Lotor said, smiling as he repeated the familiar words. “No hits to the face or below the belt. Tap the mat or your opponent twice to surrender the bout.”

“Okay,” Shiro said with a nod, “and this time you’ll honor that last rule, right?”

“Of course,” Lotor said, but the wicked gleam in his eyes said otherwise. Shiro found his heart speeding up with anticipation as he dropped into a loose fighting stance and watched as Lotor did the same. 

Shiro was careful to start the way he had before, trying to lull Lotor into a false sense of security. Lotor seemed suspicious but eventually he attacked all the same. Shiro was ready for him, grinning as he ducked under the prince’s punch. He grabbed him around the middle and spun with his momentum before dumping him on the ground. He sprang back to avoid Lotor’s retaliatory leg-sweep and came in for another attack, pressing his advantage.

After a few breathless minutes of grappling he had Lotor pinned beneath him, wrists pressed to the ground above his head. Lotor struggled for a few moments but he was no match for the strength of Shiro’s Galra arm. When he realized it was useless he stopped fighting, but his body was still tense so Shiro knew he was just biding his time. He wasn’t going to fall for that trick. He kept his hold firm, refusing to let up.

“Very good,” Lotor said at last, surprise evident in his tone.

Shiro huffed out a laugh and blew his long fringe out of his eyes. Lotor raised an eyebrow and tapped the fingers of his left hand twice against the mat.

“I don’t think so,” Shiro grinned. “I’ve got you right where I want you, I’m not about to just let you go.”

Lotor’s eyes widened a little, face flushing. Shiro could feel Lotor hardening beneath him and shifted to press himself more firmly against Lotor’s swelling cock. The prince let out a shuddering sigh, dropping his head back against the ground, neck bared like an invitation. Grinning, Shiro pressed forward and kissed the sensitive spot just behind Lotor’s ear. He opened his mouth and raked his teeth gently down Lotor’s neck while the prince let out small shocked-sounding gasps, melting into Shiro’s grip. 

“No fight left in you now?” Shiro teased.

“I find I’m not entirely displeased by my situation,” Lotor answered shakily, frustratingly articulate. Shiro was going to change that. He moved to take Lotor’s mouth in a slick kiss, licking into his heat, biting at his lower lip.

A loud series of beeps ran out through the room and Shiro pulled back, annoyed.

“Prince Lotor,” Ezor’s voice came over the comms, unusually formal, especially for her. 

Lotor shut his eyes tightly, trying to get his breathing under control before he answered. “What is it?” he asked, sounding haughty and just as frustrated at the interruption as Shiro was. 

“General Raht is on the line for you.”

Shiro regretfully pulled away, rolling off Lotor to sit on the mat beside him.

“Put him through,” Lotor said with a small grimace, not bothering to move from where he lay.

“Prince Lotor,” an imperious sounding voice came through the comms.

“General Raht, how may I help you?”

“Your presence is required on the Imperial command ship.”

“Certainly,” Lotor said, frowning. “May I ask why?”

“Voltron and the Blade of Marmora mounted an attack on the Imperial Armada, Emperor Zarkon is gravely injured. You’ve been called to take control of the Empire while he recovers.”

“I see,” Lotor said slowly. “I will make haste." 

“See that you do,” the man said.

“He signed off,” Ezor’s voice rang out, back to a more familiar informality. 

“Well, you heard what he said. Set a course for the command system, tell the others.”

“Got it!”

There was another series of beeps and they were left in silence.

“What does this mean for us?” Shiro asked slowly.

“It means you’re going to be fucked by an Emperor tonight,” Lotor said with a smile, but it seemed strained around the eyes. He stood and ran a hand through his hair before tugging on his clothes to straighten them. “Or, I suppose- Interim Emperor,” he added, frowning. He turned to give Shiro his hand, pulling him up off the ground. 

“Interim Emperor,” Shiro echoed. “Does that mean you can stop the war?”

Lotor sighed and looked away. “No. The war won’t stop until my father is dead. And even then, he has loyal supporters that will refuse to stop until they’re forced to. Sendak, for one, but there are many others. If I’m being summoned then the situation is dire enough to require a figurehead, but no doubt there will still be someone holding my leash. The witch Haggar is the one pulling everyone’s strings, no matter what anyone else may think.” 

“Oh,” Shiro said, disappointed. He startled at the feel of Lotor’s fingers under his chin, drawing his face up for a gentle kiss.

“It’s not all bad news,” Lotor said quietly. “This certainly creates opportunities that weren’t there before. And if all it took was Voltron and what’s left of the Blades to deal such a devastating blow to Zarkon’s regime, it means the Empire is weakening.”

Shiro smiled but there was still something nagging at him- Voltron. That word had come up a few times in Zarkon’s files, and now here it was again. 

“What is Voltron?” he asked as they headed to the bridge.

“An ancient superweapon. Zarkon has been searching for it for the past ten thousand years, but evidently someone else has gotten to it first.” 

“Should we be worried?”

“I suppose that remains to be seen,” Lotor said. “But let’s not worry just yet. I think together we’ll be able to handle almost anything, don’t you?” He grinned, eyes sparkling.

Shiro found himself relaxing a little, a slow sense of excitement rising within him. As nice as it was to join Lotor and his generals on their various missions, as fantastic as it was spending heated nights in the prince’s bed, he’d been slowly growing restless. Now everything was changing; now there could be progress.

Voltron was a mysterious and potentially promising development. Maybe they could ally themselves with whoever wielded it, or maybe they could find a way to take control of it. He had a feeling everything depended on that weapon and he was curious to see it for himself. 

“Yeah,” he said at last. “I do.”

 

* * *

 

The Universe was impossibly vast, as was the Galra Empire. Though Lotor had kept to his promise to ‘make haste’ to the command center, it still took over a week to reach it. The atmosphere on the ship seemed charged, tense as they approached. Each of the generals was handling the news of Lotor’s new role differently. Ezor seemed excited to be heading to the central system while Zethrid was acting particularly bloodthirsty, spending long hours on the training deck beating up sentries. Narti was her usual mysterious and silent self and Acxa was irritable, even more short with Shiro than usual.

And then there was Lotor. Outwardly he seemed as confident and self assured as always, but Shiro could tell there was turmoil under the surface. Any attempt to talk about it was delicately rebuffed, so after a day or two Shiro stopped trying. He himself was feeling tense, jittery. He’d gotten used to Lotor and his generals, even the sentries, but he wasn’t looking forward to being in the midst of the Galra Empire again. His dreams grew troubled, nightmares of his imprisonment returning in full force after weeks of peace.

After waking Lotor three times in one night when he jerked out of a night terror Lotor told him that he’d had enough.

“Vigorous physical activity is excellent for promoting better rest,” he murmured into Shiro’s ear, and this time he didn’t mean sparring. He thoroughly fingered him open before making Shiro ride his cock until Shiro’s thighs were burning. By the time Lotor took mercy on him and flipped him to his back Shiro could barely remember his own name, much less whatever dream had woken him. He slept well that night, and even smiled at Lotor’s smug expression the following morning.

As they got closer to the command center Shiro dove into the prisoner manifests, spending nearly every waking minute in one of the data labs pouring over the lists. It was entirely fruitless until the day he saw-

 

_Prisoner 117-9875:_ _Takashi, Shirogane - Arena Slave; “Champion”  
_ _Status: Location Unknown, Presumed dead.  
_ _Known Associates: Fugitive Prisoner 117-9976; Prisoner 112-0172_

 

The jolt he felt at seeing his own name was overwhelming and for a long time he sat frozen, shaking as he stared at the screen, flashbacks ripping through him. Finally he managed to shut his eyes and turn away. He pressed a hand to his chest over his racing heart and tried desperately to catch his breath. All he could hear was a faint ringing in his ears; the room was spinning slowly around him. He needed to get out, to run, to claw his way out of his own memories. 

When he stood to leave his knees buckled and he nearly fell to the ground, catching himself on the edge of the table at the last moment. A wave of nausea rose up in his gut and he pressed his trembling hand to his mouth, trying to hold it back. The sentry stationed in the room looked over with what could have been concern and took a step towards him. 

Shiro flinched, nearly falling again. “Stay back,” he commanded, voice raw. It beeped softly before obeying and Shiro exhaled a shaky breath.

During his time on Lotor’s ship he’d slowly grown to think of the sentries as little more than furniture, ubiquitous, useful for lifting heavy crates or fetching things for him when he didn’t feel like getting up. But now he suddenly remembered their true nature- they were killing machines. These particular ones were programmed to obey him but that didn’t make them any less dangerous.

He felt shaken to the core and his first instinct was to go find Lotor; the Galra’s presence always served to calm Shiro’s nerves. Suddenly he was surprised at himself, his easy trust. Had he lost sight of who Lotor was just as he’d lost sight of what the sentries were? When was the last time he’d questioned Lotor’s motives, his actions? Was Shiro really so starved for affection and companionship that a few months of being treated decently was all it took for his allegiance to shift towards the very people who’d ripped him from his old life and thrown him into a year of hell? 

“Fuck,” Shiro muttered, running his hands through his hair. He felt like he was going crazy, his paranoia running out of control. He leaned against the desk, forcing himself to take long deep breaths to try and slow his frantically beating heart. Lotor had helped him, hadn’t he? He’d helped him back when they hardly knew each other and later he’d rescued Shiro from Haggar, not to mention everything he’d done since then. He wasn’t keeping Shiro against his will, he’d offered him everything he needed to go home. But Shiro was choosing to stay here, to help him. 

“Ok,” Shiro said to himself, the sound of his own voice oddly calming. “It’s ok, I’m ok.” 

The door opened and he looked up, startled.

“Shiro?” Lotor asked as he strode in. “What’s wrong? The sentry-” his eyes widened as he took in Shiro’s no doubt disheveled appearance. He quickened his step until he was standing right in front of Shiro, still leaning on the desk. “What happened?” he asked as he reached out carefully to put his hands on Shiro’s thighs. His palms were shockingly warm, as usual, and Shiro shivered, closing his eyes. He leaned forward until his forehead was pressed to Lotor’s chest.

After a moment’s hesitation Lotor stepped closer and wrapped his arms around him. Shiro leaned into the embrace, his shaking intensifying for a moment before he felt Lotor’s fingers carding through his hair. Slowly the tension in his muscles began to ease, his heartbeat calming to match Lotor’s even pace. He’d wrapped his arms around Lotor’s waist without realizing it and now he let go, pulling back.

“Are you alright?” Lotor asked. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” Shiro said. “Or at least- nothing _happened_.” He sighed, flushed with embarrassment at his own reaction as he sheepishly ran a hand through his hair again. “See for yourself,” he said, waving towards the screen behind him, the one still displaying his name.

Lotor frowned and shifted away from him to see what had upset him so much. “Ah,” he said quietly as he read the short entry. “Hmm,” he muttered before typing something into the console. “Is this who you’ve been searching for? Matt and Samuel Holt?”

Shiro jerked up with a gasp. He’d entirely missed the ‘known associates’ part of the entry and now he wanted to kick himself. “Yes!” he said, moving to stand beside Lotor. Sam and Matt’s pictures were up on screen and Shiro couldn’t stop smiling, it had been so long since he’d seen their faces. “That’s them. What does it say?”

“Fugitive Prisoner 117-9976, Matt Holt,” Lotor read. “It appears he escaped some time ago, almost six of your Earth months now.”  
  
Shiro laughed, gripping Lotor tightly by the shoulder. “What about Sam?”

“Prisoner 112-0172,” Lotor continued, slower. “As of four months ago he was stationed on Zarkon’s command ship.”

“Yes!” Shiro cried out as he gave Lotor’s shoulder an excited shake, overcome with joy. “Isn’t that where we’re going? We can get him out!” 

Lotor frowned, scrolling through the data. “Shiro,” he said carefully, “it says here Samuel Holt is a level two engineer.”

“So?”

“So, he’s- important, vital, even. If he’d just been another prisoner, I could have ordered him brought to my ship and no one would have batted an eye. But this- level two designation- it means he’s engaged in important research for the Empire.”

“What are you saying?” Shiro asked, frowning. 

“He’s a high-profile prisoner,” Lotor explained. “I can’t just- _take_ him, it would raise too many questions, it would put me in a very difficult position.”

“A- a difficult _position_?” Shiro sputtered, stepping back. “He’s my colleague, my friend! I’m supposed to leave him to rot in a Galra prison because the alternative is too _difficult_ for you?”

“Shiro, please,” Lotor said, raising his hands in supplication but otherwise staying still, not trying to close the distance between them. “I just mean- I can’t be involved in this, do you understand?” 

Shiro laughed bitterly and turned away. “No, I really don’t. You’ll risk yourself for a potential fuck-toy, but-”

“ _Shiro_ ,” Lotor cut him off sharply. “Please hear me out before you say something you’ll regret. I just meant if you want to mount a rescue mission you’ll have to do it on your own. I’ll do what I can to help but I can’t go with you, and I can’t send any of my generals either, they’re too recognizable.”

Oh, hell. Shiro closed his eyes in shame, wishing the ground would swallow him up. Why was he so quick to assume the worst of Lotor, after everything he’d done for him?

“I won’t presume to try and stop you,” Lotor continued, “but I’m- concerned.”

“I’m sorry,” Shiro breathed out, turning towards him. “I shouldn’t have said that, it wasn’t fair. I think I’m still shaken from earlier.” He couldn’t quite bring himself to meet Lotor’s eyes as he ran a hand nervously through his hair. 

“Shiro- I know how capable you are,” Lotor said quietly, raising his hands to take Shiro gently by the upper arms. “But if something were to go wrong, if you got caught- I’m not certain I’d be able to help you. Are you sure you’re ready for this? We could take it slow, mitigate the risk. I could purchase the loyalty of a few guards, have them keep an eye on Samuel Holt until the time is right.”

Shiro sighed and pulled back, looking up into Lotor’s sincere face. “That’s what you did with me, isn’t it?” he asked quietly. 

“I… yes.” 

“And I almost died while you were off somewhere else, letting your guards look after me.”

“Shiro-”

“No, I understand,” Shiro said, smiling wryly. “You did what you could, under the circumstances. You did much more than you had to, for someone you didn’t even know. You have other things you need to do, to worry about, you have to make sacrifices. But I can’t do that. I can’t leave him there. When we arrive, I’m going to look for Sam, and I’m going to get him out.”

“Alright,” Lotor said at last. “We have two quintants- Earth days- left until we arrive. We’ll figure out a plan in that time, so you’re not going in there blind. I’ll do what I can to help you, but ultimately you’ll be on your own. Can you handle that?”

Shiro grinned, happy to have Lotor’s support in whatever way he could. “I can handle it,” he said, trying to put more confidence into that statement than he was feeling.

 

* * *

 

“Shit, is that-”

“Prince Lotor?” 

Shiro smiled a little as he stood waiting just behind the corner. The guards in the next room sounded like excited teenagers as they watched the arena fight on a small mobile screen. 

“Throk-” Lotor’s voice rang out, tinny through the speakers, “you wish to challenge me? Then come down and claim your crown.”

“No way!” one of the guards squealed.

“Throk doesn’t stand a chance-”

Shiro took a deep breath and stepped into the room.

“What is it?” one of the guards asked, too enthralled by the fight to even bother looking up from the screen.

“I have orders from Haggar to retrieve a prisoner.” 

“Fine, whatever,” the guard said, waving a hand towards the door that led to the cells.

Was it really going to be that easy? He’d been prepared for a fight, sure that his disguise as a Galra officer wouldn’t stand up to scrutiny. Shiro frowned but walked past the guards quickly, not wanting to waste his chance. Narti had done something with the armor that should have masked his human bio-signature and given him the access level of his supposed rank, but he didn’t know if it would really work until he pressed his palm against the access panel. He waited, a cold sweat rising over his back, sure that any minute now an alarm would blare out and expose him for the imposter he was. 

The panel beeped and the door slid open with a soft hiss. He reminded himself that he was a big bad Galra officer who didn’t care what the lowly soldiers were up to but it was still a struggle not to glance back at the guards behind him before he stepped through. The hall was lined with cell doors and Shiro walked quickly until he reached the one labeled- _Prisoner 112-0172_.  

He exhaled a sigh of relief as he ran his fingers over the nameplate. At the back of his mind he’d been worried Sam had been transferred, or worse. But he didn’t have to worry about that anymore, Sam was here. Shiro steeled himself, preparing for the worst, before he hit the access panel and waited for the cell door to open.

It was dark inside but Shiro could make out a man crouched next to a small cot. The man jerked up at the intrusion and even in the darkness Shiro recognized him instantly. 

“What’s going on?” Sam asked, his voice coming out as a panicked croak. He was clearly terrified as he tried to hide something behind his back.

“On your feet, prisoner,” Shiro forced himself to say roughly, though his voice came out more fond than what he’d been aiming for. He desperately wanted to reveal himself to Sam but now wasn’t the time. The cells were probably bugged and he couldn’t blow his cover too soon. 

“I’ve only just finished my shift,” Sam protested, eyes darting around nervously. 

“Now,” Shiro said.

After another moment of hesitation Sam stood, some small object falling out of his pocket and clattering loudly to the floor. He flinched at the sound then drew himself up to his full height, glaring defiantly. Shiro had to hold back a smile as he realized Sam had been up to something he shouldn’t have been, maybe an attempt at escape? Whatever it was, it meant Sam hadn’t lost hope, that he was still fighting instead of letting himself be taken by despair. 

“Hurry up,” Shiro said.

Sam seemed a little confused, probably expecting some kind of punishment, but he walked forward obediently. Shiro had to hold back a wince when Sam finally stepped into the light. It broke Shiro’s heart to see him like this- practically skeletal, hair and beard uncharacteristically long and tangled, a painful-looking bruise covering half his face. 

“Let’s go,” Shiro said.

He took Sam by the upper arm, worried he’d try to escape or do something else to screw up his own rescue. He seemed docile as Shiro led him through the hall but the way he was glancing around meant he was looking for an opportunity to run.

As they walked into the room with the guards one of them looked up and jumped to his feet in shock.

“That’s a level two prisoner!” he said. “You can’t take him alone, it’s protocol.” 

“Ugh,” the other guard groaned. “The fight is just getting good! Can’t this wait a few doboshes until it’s over, and then one of us will go with you?”

“You’re right,” Shiro said in the most scathing tone he could muster. “I’ll just tell Haggar she had to wait because you were too busy watching the fight. I’m sure she’ll understand.”

The guards shared a nervous look.

“You go,” the shorter one said. “I went last time.”

“No way! This is _historical_ -”

“You,” Shiro interrupted, pointing to the smaller guard. “Come on.”

“Yes, sir,” he muttered as he stood up.

“Any day now, soldier,” Shiro ordered as he kept walking, not waiting for the guard to catch up. His heart was thundering in his ears, Sam was tense beside him. They must have walked for at least ten minutes before the guard slowed and stopped, dropping his hand to his blaster.

“This isn’t the way to Haggar’s lab,” he said suspiciously.

“I know,” Shiro said, turning on him and grabbing him by the throat, activating his Galra arm to send a shock through him. The guard yelped and sagged, knocked out. Shiro shifted to hold him by the front of his uniform and dragged his body into a nearby dark passageway, still gripping Sam tightly with his other hand. 

He dropped the guard once they were out of sight of the main corridor.

“What’s going on?” Sam whispered, wide-eyed.

“What does it look like, Sam?” Shiro asked, letting him go at last so he could turn his full attention to stripping the guard of his armor. “You wanna give me a hand here?”

“ _Shiro_?” Sam whispered.

Shiro spared a moment to shoot him a quick grin. “Surprise.”

“Thank god! Shiro!” Sam chuckled. His knees buckled and he sank to the ground. “Is Matt with you?”

“No,” Shiro said. “He escaped, six months ago. I don’t know where he is now.”

“Ah,” Sam said, the disappointment in his voice obvious and heartbreaking. “Well, at least he got out.”

“I’ll find him,” Shiro said. “I found you, didn’t I?” 

“Yes- you did, Captain.”

“Put these on.” Shiro tossed him armor pieces as he took them off the guard. Sam got dressed clumsily, not familiar with the Galra style space suits. This one was too big on him, but it would be good enough. Shiro jammed a small device into the side of the helmet before handing it over. According to Narti it would block Galra transmissions while connecting it to Shiro’s own suit. He just hoped it worked like it was supposed to.

“Follow me, quickly,” Shiro said once Sam was ready. 

They made their way through the ship as fast as they could while Shiro counted down the minutes in his head. By now Lotor’s fight in the arena would be finished and the Galra on board no longer distracted by the drama of it all. Soon they’d resume their normal business and the remaining guard in the prisoner holding area would start wondering what had happened to his friend. Once he tried to hail him and got no response, he’d sound the alarm and put the ship on lockdown, at which point they’d be trapped. By Shiro’s estimate they only had a few minutes left.

“Here,” he said, leading Sam towards a small airlock. He was half expecting something to go wrong, but whatever clearance Narti had given him was enough to open the airlock and soon they were floating out of the ship.

Shiro heard Sam gasp through the speakers of his helmet as he took in the sight before them. They were near the bottom of the imperial command ship, looming impossibly huge over them. Surrounding it were several thin concentric rings of Galra installations, not to mention an impossible number of cruisers, floating protectively in tight formations at the perimeter. And in the distance, standing conspicuously apart from the other ships, was Lotor’s familiar cruiser, gleaming in the starlight.

A drone-piloted fighter zoomed past and Shiro felt his muscles tense up in panic. They were completely exposed floating in space without a ship, but hopefully too small of a target to be picked up by any A.I. sensors. The fighter didn’t change course or make any indication that it had detected them and Shiro let himself relax a little. 

He tapped the side of his helmet to turn on the holomap inside the visor, a small pulsating mark showing their destination. He took Sam firmly by the arm and activated his calf thrusters to maneuver them to the pick-up point. It was a tense few minutes but they reached it without further incident.

“What now?” Sam asked, looking around. 

“We wait, and-” Shiro grinned as he saw a large automated ship approaching them. “Now, grab on!”

The ship was shaped somewhat like a train, the front section larger with four thrusters positioned at each corner, trailing a few boxy containers behind it. The containers had conveniently placed ladders on their sides and Shiro grabbed a link easily before helping Sam get a handhold. The ship took them away from the command center, slowly speeding up as it reached the perimeter. The speed would have been a problem if they’d been anywhere other than the vacuum of space. With no air resistance to contend with Shiro just tightened his Galra arm over the ladder, keeping his other arm wrapped around Sam’s waist to hold him pressed tight to the wall of the container.

An alarm popped up inside Shiro’s visor to inform him the command ship was going into lockdown and the cruisers were mobilizing to scan for any sign of intruders. But it was too late, Sam and Shiro were outside the security perimeter and speeding away. 

Shiro released a sigh of relief and smiled, looking over at Sam beside him. He could feel Sam shaking like a leaf and tightened his grip around the man’s waist.

“Are you alright?” he asked. 

“Yes,” Sam said, leaning his forehead against the wall. “Just- a little overwhelmed. I thought you were dead, Shiro. I never thought you’d come for me, that anyone would.” 

“I’ve got you now.”

They didn’t speak again until the ship reached a small moon an hour later.

“Now,” Shiro said, “let go.” He helped Sam release his death grip on the ladder and pushed them away from the ship just in time to see the bottom of the containers open to dump unidentifiable rubbish towards the surface. 

“Did we just catch a ride on a trash truck?” Sam asked incredulously. 

“Yeah,” Shiro said with a grin. 

“Of all the ways I’ve imagined this moment,” Sam muttered, “this was definitely not one of them.”

Shiro huffed out a laugh as he grabbed Sam again. The gravity on the moon was low enough that his calf thrusters were sufficient to bring them in for a safe landing.

“Shiro, what’s going on here? Where is everyone?” Sam asked as they trudged through mountains of trash. 

“Everyone?” Shiro asked, confused.

“The other prisoners, the rebels.”

“There’s no one else here, Sam. It’s just us.”

“But- there’s no way you pulled this off on your own. There has to be someone-” he gasped as they finally reached the two ships Lotor had stashed for them on the moon’s surface on the way to central command. “Shiro, those are Galra ships!” Sam hissed, jerking away from him.

“It’s ok,” Shiro said, raising his hands placatingly.

Sam was staring at him wide-eyed, like Shiro was a stranger to him. “Shiro, what did you do? You’re working with the Galra?” 

“No!” Shiro said, then winced and looked away. “At least- not in the way you’re thinking.” 

“Oh god. You betrayed us?”

“Sam!” Shiro grabbed him by the shoulders to give him a shake. “Stop it! You know me- you know I wouldn’t do that.” 

Sam looked down, breathing hard. “Ok. Ok, you’re right. I’m sorry, the past year has been… difficult. I didn’t mean to lash out at you.”

“It’s ok,” Shiro said, grateful that this conversation was coming to an end. “Let’s get on the ships and get ready to go.”

Sam refused to move and Shiro sighed, turning back to him. 

“We can’t just leave,” Sam said slowly. “What about the other prisoners?”

“Sam!” Shiro said. “We can’t go back.” 

“We can’t leave them behind, they’re suffering-”

“They’re not my responsibility,” Shiro said, more harshly than he meant to.

“Not your- Shiro, what happened to you?” Sam asked, something like fear in his eyes. “The Shiro I knew would never leave people behind like this.”

“Dammit Sam,” Shiro growled. “I’m doing the best I can. What do you expect from me? You want me to charge in there and start a gunfight? Would it help anyone if I got myself killed?” Sam looked away but Shiro only stepped forward, pressing the issue. “No, really, Sam. If it’s not enough that I got you out of there, that I’m about to send you home to your wife and daughter, what would be enough? What do you want me to do?”

“I don’t know,” Sam said at last, shoulders dropping in defeat. “I’m sorry, Shiro. I didn’t mean to upset you, I’m just- tired.”   
  
Shiro closed his eyes. He was shaking with a mix of adrenaline and anger, the feeling unfamiliar and frightening. He wasn’t the same person he’d been before the Galra, how could he be? He’d done what he needed to survive, and that had left a permanent dark mark on him. For the first time he was forced to come face to face with it, with the fact that he was turning into someone else.

If he kept moving forward, stayed busy, he wouldn’t have to think about it, about any of it. It was the coward’s way out, but just then Shiro didn’t have the strength to face Sam’s expectations of him.

“Let’s go,” he said sharply, leading the way onto the larger of the two ships. Sam followed slowly behind him. 

Once on the bridge Shiro powered up the engines and typed Earth’s coordinates into the autopilot. He took his helmet off as he waited, hoping the moderately fresh air would help calm him down.

“This ship has cloaking technology but you shouldn’t need it, the course is set to avoid Galra fleets and outposts. The hold has more than enough supplies for the journey, but just in case you should try to ration out what you have.” 

“You’re not coming with me?” 

“I’ll escort you out of the sector,” Shiro said, unable to meet Sam’s eyes, “but after that you’ll be on your own. You’ll be fine.”

“Shiro, look at me,” Sam said, an undercurrent of steel in his voice. He waited until Shiro looked up to step forward and take Shiro’s face in his hands. “I’m grateful for what you’ve done, and I don’t care what you’re involved in, whatever it is- we can get past it. Just please, don’t stay out here alone. Come home.” 

“Sam,” Shiro said slowly, “I can’t.” 

“You won’t.”

Shiro had to shut his eyes as the truth of it ripped through him. Sam was right. There was nothing stopping Shiro from going to Earth with him, nothing other than the fact that he didn’t want to. 

“You’re right,” Shiro said, the words like ashes in his mouth. Was this really the choice he was making? Staying with a Galra prince rather than going home with his friend? “I’m sorry, Sam. I’m staying here.” 

“Alright,” Sam said. “I won’t pretend to understand, but I trust you.”

“Thank you,” Shiro whispered. “That means more to me than you know.”

He grunted in surprise as Sam practically tackled him into a hug, squeezing so tightly he could feel it through his armor. Shiro returned the embrace, tears rising to his eyes. Sam smelled like blood and sweat, but underneath it all was his friend, his first glimpse of home since they’d been separated so long ago.

“Thank you, for everything,” Sam said. 

When they pulled away Sam smiled and patted him on the cheek. 

“You’re a good man, Shiro.”

“Thanks,” Shiro said, smiling as he wiped back tears. “We should get going. We can talk over the comms, catch up a bit before I have to send you on.”

“Ok,” Sam said. “Just, be careful. Take care of yourself.”

“I will,” Shiro said finally, struggling to keep his voice even. He was devastated as he drank in what might end up being his last sight of his friend and tried not to show the agony of his heart tearing in half.

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick WARNING- I'm going to say this now, and I'm going to say this again later too. The next chapter will contain a mention of past implied dubcon/noncon. I'll be giving more info about that in the end notes when I post.
> 
> **Next Up: Part VII: Lotor**
> 
> The evening’s royal dinner was nothing short of torturous. The number of commanders that had drifted in to inquire about the Emperor’s health during this tenuous time was a testament to how sorely Lotor’s presence was needed to hold the Empire together. Even Warlord Ranveig had decided to make the trek in to the capital from whatever genocide he was perpetrating on the outskirts of Galra controlled space.


	7. Part VII: Lotor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter contains a mention of past implied dubcon/noncon in an abrupt way, as well as some (mild) potentially disturbing content. It's not particularly graphic imo, but i've put more detailed info in the end notes for anyone who wants to know what's going to happen and how so that everyone can have a pleasant reading experience.
> 
> There's no summary for this chapter cause I wanna make sure no one misses the warning. Tags have been updated as well! OK on with the fic (and thank you to my beta [Lutz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lutz/pseuds/lutz) you're the greatest :)

 

* * *

 

Lotor had been on the command ship for barely a varga before the urge to leave again became nearly overwhelming. Dealing with Throk had been the easiest task he’d had to contend with. After the show he’d put on he knew he’d won the support of many of the lower-ranked Galra but their support wasn’t what would truly matter in the end.

The lockdown happened soon after they left the arena, and while it was gratifying to know Shiro’s rescue plan was going as scheduled, Lotor and his generals happened to be in a lift at the time. They were forced to wait in the tiny space for half a varga until the doors finally opened- revealing not the end of the lockdown, as Lotor had hoped, but the disgruntled face of General Raht, Haggar’s flunky. The man greeted them curtly before insisting on taking Lotor, and Lotor alone, to a private communications room that was not much larger than the lift had been for an unnecessarily lengthy meeting about the state of the Empire. Lotor had spies everywhere, he knew full well the state of the Empire, but he couldn’t very well admit as much so he was left feigning interest over star charts for the rest of the afternoon.

The evening’s royal dinner was nothing short of torturous. The number of Commanders that had drifted in to inquire about the Emperor’s health during this tenuous time was a testament to how sorely Lotor’s presence was needed to hold the Empire together. Even Warlord Ranveig had decided to make the trek in to the capital from whatever genocide he was perpetrating on the outskirts of Galra controlled space.

The man was even worse than Sendak, who was thankfully missing, his corpse hopefully floating cold and stiff through the vacuum of space somewhere, though Lotor wouldn’t bet on it until he saw it for himself. After repeatedly attempting to belittle Lotor and undermine his authority Lotor had been forced to drop a few veiled remarks about the quintessence Ranveig had been hoarding behind Zarkon and Haggar’s backs, a fact Lotor had been hoping to keep to himself until he could figure out what exactly he could extort out of the warlord. The expression on the man’s face as he shut his mouth and tried to act casual was not nearly as satisfying as the plans to his super weapon would have been.

The food was delicious, of course, but it couldn’t make up for Commander Trugg’s increasingly drunken advances, Haggar’s silent glaring, or Commander Sniv’s clumsy attempts to toady up to him. He made it almost half-way through the dessert course before Trugg not-so-subtly made a grab for his crotch and he finally had to send Acxa their discreet _save me_ signal. 

“Prince Lotor,” she said, raising a hand to the silent receiver in her ear. “Your presence is required. It’s urgent.” 

“Very well,” Lotor said, trying not to seem eager as he stood from the table. “My apologies,” he smiled tensely at Haggar and the assembled Commanders. It was a struggle not to run out of that pit of vipers but somehow he managed it.

“How much longer do we have to stay here?” Zethrid muttered as they walked to the residential quarters. “I need to clobber something before I go crazy.”

“It’s barely been a quintant!” Ezor replied, the only one of them that seemed to be having any fun. Her fingers were practically dripping with expensive looking rings and the pockets on her thighs were bulging. She must have found time to go shopping- which is what she called stealing- while Lotor had been stuck with Raht. Where, or from whom, he didn’t know, but Ezor always found a way.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to leave by the end of the movement,” Lotor said, “but that will depend on how much progress we can make, and how quickly.” 

Kova hissed from where he was curled over Narti’s shoulders and Lotor found he couldn’t agree more.

“Let’s get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow,” he said.

They proceeded to the royal wing and said their goodbyes before Lotor was alone in the chambers that used to be his when he was still a prince in good standing. The decor was completely different, of course, the rooms had been converted to guest quarters millenia ago. He still couldn’t help feeling like the butt of a joke. Perhaps this was Haggar’s way of picking at him, or perhaps this was simply the doing of some well-meaning steward, hoping the familiarity would- Lotor wasn’t sure. Put him at ease, perhaps? Make him feel at home? That sentiment was a joke in itself. 

He readied for bed but found himself lying in the dark unable to fall asleep, his mind racing. 

Just the previous night he’d had Shiro sleeping beside him. Almost every night, in fact, for the past few movements. He hadn’t realized how quickly he could get used to such a luxury but here he was, wishing he could hear Shiro’s quiet breathing, wishing he could run his hands down the man’s chest.

Lotor rarely took lovers. It was difficult for someone in his position to differentiate between honest desire and an attempt to curry favor, or worse- a desperate effort to appease him from someone who didn’t fully understand what was expected of them. But Shiro was different, in every way. The man was so open about his desires, so generous with giving and receiving pleasure. Lotor had never been with someone who was so eager, begged so readily and shamelessly, responded so enthusiastically to his touch. Shiro made him feel wanted in a way he’d never experienced before and it was intoxicating.

Lotor found himself thinking about the previous night, the one before that. Without quite making the decision to, he slid his hand under the sheets to touch himself, closing his eyes as he pictured Shiro on his knees between Lotor’s thighs, looking up at him with a smile.

Lotor’s lips parted around an exhale and his breathing quickened, as did his heart. He started stroking himself, slowly at first, then picking up speed. 

He imagined Shiro on that first day, not as the Champion, afraid and in pain, but the way he was now, with long white-streaked hair brushing just past his wide powerful shoulders, his right arm made of gleaming metal. In Lotor’s fantasy their first encounter went differently; instead of screaming in pain Shiro was hot and hard, begging Lotor to touch him, to fuck him. He was only too happy to oblige, ripping through the thin jumpsuit easily until it was just shreds of clinging black fabric and Shiro’s body was exposed to his gaze.

The fantasy shifted until their positions were reversed, and it was Shiro pumping slick fingers into him while he lay naked and gasping on the ground, his hands trapped behind his back in Shiro’s iron grip. Shiro was whispering filth in his ear, shoving his thighs apart and entering him so sweetly while Lotor moaned, powerless beneath him. 

Suddenly the fantasy shattered and they weren’t in Sendak’s guest quarters anymore, they were in the back of a dirty cargo ship and it wasn’t Shiro but a stranger rutting into him, his foul ale-soaked breath ghosting over Lotor’s face as he whispered-

_“Look how far you’ve fallen, little prince.”_

Lotor’s eyes flew open and he drew his hand back as if burned. _Fuck_. This was why he didn’t do this sort of thing, he reminded himself coldly. Lack of focus. 

He considered stopping then, simply as a matter of pride. But he was still hard, still wanted his release. Fuck. He tried to picture Shiro again, waiting naked in Lotor’s bed, fingering himself open to get himself ready for- but the image didn’t solidify, faded away into tatters almost as soon as Lotor thought of it. 

 _Fine_ , he thought viciously and moved on to something else. He started stroking himself again, fast and just on the edge of too hard, this time thinking of the stranger from before. Thinking about the look on his ugly bloated face as he realized Lotor was stealing his ship, marooning him on a barren desert moon to die, slowly and painfully, of dehydration, or maybe exposure, or maybe torn apart by wild animals-

Lotor spilled into his hand with a harsh gasp and immediately wiped himself off with the sheets, nose wrinkled with disgust.

Afterwards he lay in the dark, staring up at the ceiling. He wasn’t feeling angry, exactly, or ashamed. Just- resigned. His mind was full of static, slowly fading. 

There was even less chance of him falling asleep now than there had been before so he sighed and went to wash his hands and change into fresh clothing before retrieving his datapad. He poured himself a stiff drink and curled up on the couch to read through Haggar’s stolen research notes. He could barely make head or tails of any of it but maybe if he read it enough times something would stand out, some meaning would coalesce in his mind.

He’d been at it for a few vargas when he was distracted by beeping from one of his gauntlets, signaling that the hangar door was opening on his cruiser. He switched the datapad over to show the video feed from his ship, surprised to see Shiro docking his fighter. They’d planned for him to escort Samuel Holt for several quintants so Lotor wasn’t expecting him back for at least another movement. His first thought was that something had gone wrong, but neither Shiro nor the fighter showed any signs of battle.

Lotor watched as the man climbed down from the ship and made his way towards the living quarters. There was something off about the way he was carrying himself, his posture seemed slumped, dejected, but it was difficult to tell for sure through the grainy video feed. Lotor wondered what had happened, but nevertheless felt a sense of relief that Shiro had returned unharmed. If he thought about it, he was relieved Shiro had returned at all. He’d been worried seeing his old friend would reignite Shiro’s passion to go back to his homeworld.

Shiro walked slowly through the halls until he stopped before the door to Lotor’s quarters. He raised his hand as if to open it but then paused and slowly pressed his palm to the smooth metal instead. He stood there for a long time with his head down and his hair hanging like a curtain, hiding his face from view. What was he doing? Why wasn’t he just going inside? Lotor didn’t dare look away, could barely bring himself to blink. He wasn’t sure what he was seeing, but he knew he didn’t like it.

Finally, Shiro’s shoulders slumped and he turned away, kept walking until he was stepping inside the room Lotor had first assigned him, the room he hadn’t spent more than a few doboshes in since the first night they’d spent together.

More than anything he wanted to speak to Shiro but they’d agreed to keep the comms dark to avoid suspicion. Maybe it was just as well, he thought. Maybe Shiro was becoming a distraction.

Lotor turned off the video feed and put down the pad. A feeling of dread rose within him, though he couldn’t entirely pinpoint what it was he was so worried about. Whatever it was, he had bigger problems to deal with at the moment. He wished he could keep drinking until his mind grew dark and empty, at peace for once, but he had to be the Emperor tomorrow, had to have his wits about him to manage the delicate tensions that could easily lead to full scale civil war amongst the Galra.

He sighed, and returned to bed.

 

* * *

 

Lotor was exhausted the next morning. All he wanted was to go home, back to his ship, back to his minor machinations. All of a sudden everything felt too fast, too big. He got up nevertheless and readied himself for the day.

He ate breakfast with his generals in the corner of the imperial kitchen, the cooks throwing nervous glances their way as if expecting orders for their executions at any moment. He just wanted some peace and quiet while he got ready to face the day. Finally he moved so he was sitting with his back to them, trusting the others to keep an eye out for anything troubling.

Zethrid seemed happier at least and Ezor was beaming as usual, sporting new earrings and a gold chain around her neck. Acxa seemed just as sleep deprived and out of sorts as he was but Narti was solid as a rock, moving her thigh against his under the table and telepathically pressing a wave of calm through him. The friendly touch, as well as the message, was the comfort he needed and finally he was ready to put on his usual self-assured mask.

They spent the morning inspecting the imperial army, walking past an impossible number of Galra regiments lined up in precise formations in the main hangar. There were at least three droids for every Galra soldier, and more throughout the ship that hadn't presented for inspection due to being assigned civilian-class duties such as cleaning or managing cargo. They were sentries all the same, just as capable of killing if it came down to it.

If the rebels had seen what he was looking at they would have known how futile their fight was. Zarkon’s ship alone held a compliment of nearly a million fighting men, women, and droids, and that didn't include the dozens of cruisers patrolling the perimeter, the thousands of fleets and outposts spread throughout Galra controlled space. Only the Blades and their spy network understood the full reality of what they were facing, and the fact that they kept fighting was how Lotor knew they were insane. 

Even Voltron wouldn’t be enough, not with Haggar by Zarkon’s side. Lotor had no doubt she was capable of creating some abomination that would stop Voltron in its tracks. Not for the first time he considered the futility of trying to stop the Galra war machine but then caught himself and hardened his heart, shoving doubt aside. He was the only one who had the slightest chance of success and he wouldn’t let anyone, or anything, stand in his way.

By lunchtime he learned Ranveig had returned to his own sector, apparently what Lotor had said to him the previous night had its desired effect. Commander Trugg had also left, as had a number of other minor Commanders- a promising sign that they had given up their hopes of a power grab, at least for the time being.

After lunch he made certain to find Commander Gnov and speak with her privately. She was ambitious and ruthless but at least she could be reasoned with or bribed, unlike the others, who would only respond to threats or force. Lotor offered her Sendak’s holdings in return for her support and she left the command system, pleased, later that afternoon.

The only major players left were Commanders Sniv and Ladnok. After Sniv accosted him in the hall and clumsily proposed to assassinate Haggar in return for a place as Lotor’s second in command Lotor knew he didn’t need to worry about the man after all- he’d soon be dead. That left Ladnok, and if she was the only one standing against him, well. He’d crush her and her fleet easily enough.

Regardless of his progress, he stayed on board for another two quintants that each felt like an eternity, tied up in useless briefings with Raht and pointless shows of force. By the time he returned to his cruiser he’d seen enough Galra flight maneuvers to last him another ten thousand years. 

It was a relief leaving the command ship and stepping foot on his own cruiser again. He’d almost expected Shiro to greet him in the hangar but it was empty when they arrived. 

“Narti, run diagnostics and prepare to leave the system,” he ordered, “I don’t want to spend a tick more here than we absolutely must.”

She gave him a quick nod and left for the bridge. 

“Acxa,” he turned to her, “get some rest.”

“I’m fine,” she muttered, but when Lotor pointedly raised an eyebrow at her she sighed and nodded before trudging to her room. Being in the central system had taken almost as much of a toll on her as it had on him; she had her own demons in regards to the Galra.

“Anything we should do?” Ezor asked with a sad smile, no doubt already missing the bustle of the command ship.

“You’re free to do as you like.”

Zethrid grinned and shared a heated glance with Ezor before the two of them left, probably for their quarters. 

Once he was alone Lotor signalled towards one of the sentries. “Where is Shiro?” he asked. No use drawing things out longer than he had to. If Shiro was done with him, he’d rather know right away than fool himself with pathetic fantasies. 

“Training deck, sir,” the sentry answered.

Lotor made his way over, dread rising within him until it was at his throat, making it difficult to breathe, to think.

Shiro was on the training deck just as the sentry had said, fighting two robots armed with broadswords while he had nothing but his Galra arm for a weapon. He was shirtless, his hair tied up into a knot at the back of his head. He must have been at this for a while, his skin glistened with a sheen of sweat and his face was flushed. 

Lotor watched as Shiro kicked one of the sentries down and punched the other with his Galra arm hard enough to dent its faceplate. Afterwards the human straightened and looked over to see Lotor standing in the doorway. He was breathing heavily as he brushed a tendril of escaped white hair out of his eyes. Lotor was distracted for a moment as he watched a drop of sweat trail down Shiro’s chiseled abs, sinking into the dark fabric of his thin trousers. 

“You’re back early,” Shiro said, expression unreadable.

“I could say the same to you,” Lotor said, stepping fully into the room. The door shut behind him, and despite being in the cavernous training hall he felt the walls closing in on him. “How was the rescue? Did you have any trouble?”

“No,” Shiro said, looking down to adjust the glove he was wearing on his left hand. “I watched the recording of your fight with Throk.” He smiled a little before looking up again. Did his smile seem forced around the eyes? Was he trying to change the subject? Did he seem nervous? Lotor couldn’t be sure. 

“I’m surprised you forgave a slight like that so easily.”

“Forgiveness is relative,” Lotor said, the distance between them weighing heavily on him. He took a few steps closer, drawn in as if by a magnet. “I immediately had him reassigned to a very unfavorable post where he won’t be causing any more trouble. The rest of the trip went well enough.” 

“Good.” 

“How was Samuel Holt?”

“He’ll need a few years of therapy, but otherwise he’ll be alright,” Shiro said with a sad smile. 

“Did he ask you to return with him?” Lotor asked and immediately wished he could swallow the words back. He felt like a lost child pushing for answers, or maybe reassurance. Pathetic.

“Yeah.”

“But you said no,” Lotor said.

“Yes.” 

Lotor looked away, aiming to appear casual while his mind screamed _you’re pathetic!_ at him on repeat. “If you’re having second thoughts, it’s not too late to catch up to him,” he said finally. “You can take the Thermican ship, it’s fast enough to-”

“No,” Shiro interrupted. “I’ve made my choice.”

“Oh?” Lotor looked up. He still couldn’t decipher the expression on Shiro’s face, no matter how desperately he wanted to. “I’ll admit, I saw your return on the security feed. You seemed… upset, perhaps.”

“Well- it was difficult, seeing Sam again after all this time. It brought up a lot of questions.” 

“Questions,” Lotor repeated slowly. Of course. “I saw the way you paused at my door. If you’re having second thoughtsyou need only to say so, I won’t press the issue.”

“What?” Shiro asked, startled. Whatever he saw on Lotor’s face made his expression soften into a smile. “The thought of sleeping in your bed without you seemed... much lonelier than the alternative,” he said quietly.

Lotor’s eyes widened and for a moment he wasn’t certain what he’d heard. 

“I’m not having second thoughts,” Shiro continued. “When I said I’ve made my choice, I meant- I chose you.”

“Oh,” Lotor breathed out.

He closed the distance between them at last. They stumbled backwards, kissing, until Shiro’s back was pressed against an equipment cabinet. Shiro’s skin was hot and slick with sweat, making Lotor’s hands slip easily over his chest, his arms. He didn’t care, pressing closer to plunder Shiro’s mouth and pull the tie out of his hair. He sank his fingers into Shiro’s sweaty locks and tightened his hand into a fist, dragging Shiro’s head back to bite at the salty skin of his neck.

Shiro moaned loudly into the stillness and Lotor pulled back, breathing hard and shaking with a mix of emotions he didn’t care to categorize. 

“Maybe we should proceed to my quarters-”

Shiro pulled him down for another kiss, raking his fingers down Lotor’s sides. “I want you now,” he whispered against Lotor’s lips.

Lotor flushed, slow waves of heat cresting over him, threatening to drown him. He was impossibly hard already, more than anything he wanted to just give in. “There are cameras,” he forced out, struggling not to melt as Shiro pressed hot open-mouthed kisses behind his ear.

“Knowing you, there are cameras everywhere,” Shiro answered with a breathy laugh. “Your generals know when to look away.” 

Lotor exhaled and pulled back, pressing a hand to Shiro’s heaving chest to hold him at bay. The man’s hair was hanging down in soft tousled strands around his face, his lips parted as he watched Lotor with dark eyes, pupils huge with desire. 

“Turn around,” Lotor said. Shiro smirked before obeying, turning to bend over the cabinet. Lotor pressed against his back, pushing his erection against Shiro’s ass while he slid his hand into Shiro’s thin training pants. 

Shiro moaned and dropped his head into his arms, pressing back against him. 

“Come on,” he said, desperation entering his voice. “ _Please_.” 

Lotor yanked Shiro’s pants down sharply to free his cock, ignoring the sound of tearing fabric. He pressed his face between Shiro’s shoulder blades, panting against his back while he wrestled with the front of his own trousers. He was burning up but he couldn’t spare the time to take his clothes off, couldn’t delay this any longer. 

Shiro shivered when Lotor shoved his feet apart and pressed his leaking cock against him.

“Fuck,” Shiro moaned, pushing back, trying to get closer.

“Is this what you wanted?” Lotor murmured as he guided his cock into Shiro’s body in one slow push. Shiro gasped and shook beneath him, relaxed as he shifted his hips slightly to take him in deeper. Lotor was so hot that Shiro’s body seemed cool in comparison and he had to shut his eyes at the pressure of it, the overwhelming closeness.

“Yes,” Shiro said, but the word came out like a long uneven sigh.

Lotor shuddered and gripped Shiro’s hip with one hand while he sank the other into the man’s hair, pushing his face down against the cabinet. He pumped into him slowly, he was so close to the edge already and he didn’t want this to be over just yet.

“Did you miss me?” he asked, aiming for levity but it came out raw, too honest.

“Yeah,” Shiro gasped out, just as raw. “Come on,” he said, “fuck me like you mean it.”

Lotor had to pause and lean down to press his face against Shiro’s back to catch his breath. Shiro made a sound that was halfway between a moan and a whine as he tried to push back against him, fuck himself on Lotor’s cock.

“Be good,” Lotor growled, grinding his hips up sharply. Shiro moaned and tried to jerk up but couldn’t with Lotor’s hand gripping his hair. He was holding on tightly to the edge of the cabinet, and when Lotor sped up he heard the sound of metal grinding as Shiro’s Galra hand bent the cabinet out of shape.

Lotor pushed Shiro’s thighs open even wider, clad now only in the thigh-high space boots and ragged tatters of elastic cloth.

“Please,” Shiro moaned and Lotor was overtaken by animalistic lust, speeding up until every thrust was almost vicious, impossibly deep. His knees were shaking, his blood pounding in his ears, and through it all he heard Shiro begging for more, just like that, harder. 

“Touch yourself for me,” he managed, and Shiro didn’t hesitate to slip his left hand down to his cock, stroking himself quickly in time with Lotor’s thrusts.

There was nothing now but the pure physical sensation of it all and Lotor lost himself in it, took his own pleasure ruthlessly while Shiro came apart beneath him, taking all of it and begging for more besides. 

He managed to hold on just long enough for Shiro to cry out his release and then he gasped and came into Shiro’s spasming body. Aftershocks rocked through him and he folded down bonelessly over Shiro’s back, fingers tight over the man’s hips.

When it was over he managed to pull out carefully and then he had to pause, shaking as he let the cabinet take most of his weight. Shiro turned slowly, still caged in by Lotor’s arms on either side of him, and pulled Lotor’s head to his chest, running trembling fingers over Lotor’s back and through his hair.

They caught their breath together, panting quietly in the too-large, too-bright training room. After a few long doboshes Shiro straightened a bit. 

“Sentry,” he called out, “bring me a robe.”

Lotor had forgotten about the sentries, about his time on his father’s ship, about his role as Emperor. 

A sentry walked over carrying a thin black robe and Lotor moved to the side to let Shiro pull the garment over his body. Slowly he realized he was still exposed and finally managed the energy to shove himself back into his trousers.

“Let’s go back to your rooms,” Shiro murmured, pressing a soft kiss to the side of Lotor’s mouth. “We can take a shower and get some sleep.” 

“It’s barely mid-afternoon.”

Shiro laughed. “We’re in deep space, Lotor. What does it matter?” 

“Alright,” Lotor said with a small smile. He didn’t need much convincing.

He let Shiro lead him through the halls back to his rooms, let him run soap-slick fingers over his body in the shower, let him press him into bed with soft kisses. As he drifted off to sleep he couldn’t help but feel like a thief, like he’d stolen his current happiness from someone more deserving.

He’d be called to pay for it soon enough, he was sure, but for now, at least, he could allow himself to rest.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Regarding the dubcon/noncon- while masturbating Lotor has a fantasy that accidentally triggers an unpleasant memory from his past. When he can't get back in the mood, he continues to masturbate to fantasies of violence instead.
> 
> Listen- it sounds fucked up when I put it like that, but uhh... I think in context it's not, like... terrible. This scene happens around the middle of the chapter, and if you want to skip right to the second section, just search for the words "Lotor was exhausted the next morning" and it'll take you right past it. If you want to skip this chapter altogether you won't be missing any major plot.
> 
>  
> 
> **Next Up: Part VIII: Voltron**
> 
>  
> 
> “Voltron has been broadcasting propaganda throughout the universe," Lotor said, "trying to incite revolts against the Galra and bring allies to their coalition. Obviously they didn’t want the Galra to see these broadcasts, so they were encrypted against our systems. But Narti has decrypted the signal and finally we can see who they are and what they’ve been up to.”
> 
> “Alright, let’s get on with it,” Zethrid said. “Show us the video!”


	8. Part VIII: Voltron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Voltron has been broadcasting propaganda throughout the universe," Lotor said, "trying to incite revolts against the Galra and bring allies to their coalition. Obviously they didn’t want the Galra to see these broadcasts, so they were encrypted against our systems. But Narti has decrypted the signal and finally we can see who they are and what they’ve been up to.”
> 
> “Alright, let’s get on with it,” Zethrid said. “Show us the video!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I accidentally blew my load and pushed the wrong button earlier, posting this before this was ready... sorry if you got a notification- my bad ;_;)
> 
> Thank you to my beta [Lutz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lutz/pseuds/lutz) you're the greatest :)

 

* * *

 

 

Shiro felt perfectly at peace as he sat on the couch on the observation deck, Lotor laying next to him with his head pillowed on Shiro’s thigh. The ship was drifting through a brilliant nebula, the colors bright and vibrant like nothing he’d ever seen before. It was spectacular. 

Lotor wasn’t paying the slightest attention, absorbed by whatever he was reading on his datapad, brows furrowed in frustration. Shiro reached down and gently swiped his left thumb over Lotor’s forehead to smooth the worried crease there.

“Do you ever relax?” he asked with a smile.

“What do you mean? I’m relaxed now, aren’t I?”

Shiro laughed a little and leaned back, dropping his hand to rest over Lotor’s heart while he looked back out the window. Far away stars winked playfully through the gases that swirled and undulated slowly before them, like ink spreading through water.

A soft series of beeps chimed out over the intercom and they both looked up.

“What was that?” Shiro asked.

“Narti,” Lotor said, sitting up. “She’s calling us to the bridge.”

“Is something wrong?”

“I think not,” Lotor said. “Else there would be alarms, explosions, general mayhem.”

“Right,” Shiro smiled and followed Lotor up to the bridge.

Narti looked up when they entered and Kova jumped off her shoulder and padded over to rub himself against Lotor’s legs.

“Good news?” Lotor asked.

Narti nodded and walked over to press her fingers to Lotor’s wrist. They stood quietly for a moment while they communicated telepathically, and when Narti pulled away Lotor smiled.

“What’s going on?” Zethrid asked as she walked in, trailed by Ezor and Acxa.

“Narti has decrypted the Voltron broadcasts,” Lotor explained. He sat in the captain’s chair as the rest of his generals went to their stations.

“The what?” Shiro asked, draping his arm over the back of Lotor’s chair. Narti was at the main console, typing furiously.

“As you know,” Lotor started, “Voltron is vital to our plans going forward, and so we must familiarize ourselves with its capabilities, its weaknesses, and perhaps most importantly- its pilots. What we knew until now was very little. Narti?”

A handful of small windows opened on the main viewscreen, each showing grainy security footage. Three of the windows featured a thin figure in a black space suit, while the other two showed a similar figure in red.

“They’re so small,” Zethrid said, squinting. “Are they children?”

Ezor laughed. “Can you imagine?” she gasped out. “Children! Defeating Zarkon!”

“I’m sure they’re not children,” Acxa said, but she didn’t sound sure at all.

On one of the screens the black pilot was holding his own against Haggar as lightning shot wild through the room, on another the red pilot was fighting off two Galra sentries with a knife that looked remarkably like the weapons the Blades of Marmora used. Shiro frowned, leaning forward. Something about the red pilot seemed awfully familiar, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

“Can you zoom in on that one?” he asked, pointing.

The window filled the full viewscreen, only growing more grainy with size.

“Zoom in on his face.”

After another typed command from Narti a purple box appeared around the pilot’s face and it grew to fill the screen. The visor of his helmet almost completely obscured his features, all Shiro could make out was the thin line of his mouth and even that was so grainy it could have been a reflection, or just some image noise.

“Can you enhance it somehow?”

“I don’t think that’s a thing,” Ezor said as Narti shook her head no.

Shiro leaned back, frowning. What was it about the red pilot that had so caught his attention?

“You see the difficulty,” Lotor said. “This is very little to go on, and we have no footage at all of the other three pilots.” He paused for dramatic effect. “Until now.” He grinned and Shiro couldn’t stop his own lips drawing up into a smile in response.

“Voltron has been broadcasting propaganda throughout the universe, trying to incite revolts against the Galra and bring allies to their coalition. Obviously they didn’t want the Galra to see these broadcasts, so they were encrypted against our systems. But Narti has decrypted the signal and finally we can see who they are and what they’ve been up to.”

“Alright, let’s get on with it,” Zethrid said. “Show us the video!”

“Oh!” Ezor exclaimed, bringing her hands together. “We can have the sentries bring us some snacks and have a viewing party! This is going to be so much fun!”

“We can snack later,” Acxa said, annoyed.

Shiro looked down, struggling to hold back a laugh at Acxa’s expression in the face of Ezor’s enthusiasm.

“I’d prefer not to delay for snacks,” Lotor said, the phrase particularly odd in his aristocratic accent. “Narti- please start the video.”

The screen went dark for a moment and then the Voltron logo was filling the viewport and catchy music started playing in the background. Ezor bounced on the balls of her feet with the beat of it, Zethrid nodding along. Shiro glanced down at Lotor. The prince had a rapt expression on his face, eyes glittering and fingers tight over the armrests of his chair. Shiro dropped his hand to Lotor’s shoulder and they shared a brief glance before turning their attention back to the show.

An alien that looked like a noodle in a tuxedo and headphones appeared on screen and announced something excitedly through a series of beeps. The camera pulled back, revealing a massive arena and a crowd numbering in the thousands. They cheered and clapped, waving banners excitedly while spotlights in the five Voltron colors roved over them. The atmosphere was festive, almost club-like.

The scene cut to a red-haired man standing with his back to the camera. He turned dramatically, holding his hands out wide. He looked almost entirely human except for his pointed ears and the small crescent-shaped marks below his eyes.

“Is that- an Altean?” Zethrid exclaimed.

“I thought they’d all been killed,” Ezor said.

Shiro wasn’t sure if he’d imagined the way Lotor tensed up as he said, “Apparently not.”

“Welcome, welcome!” the man on the screen was saying, his thick mustache twitching with every word. His voice was pleasantly resonant as it rang through the arena. “It is my honor to present to you- the Voltron Paladins!”

The theme music kicked back in loudly and the camera zoomed in to a set of doors at the back of the arena.

“The Black Paladin!” the man announced. The doors flew open and the pilot in the black space suit entered dramatically before doing a series of flips and turns, punching and kicking the air while the crowd went absolutely wild. The Black Paladin struck a pose, kneeling down on one knee, and finally reached back to remove his helmet as the camera zoomed in.

“Princess Allura!” the red-haired man announced.

Everyone on the bridge gasped, Lotor included, as the black pilot removed his-  _ her _ \- helmet. White hair cascaded in wild waves down her back, contrasting against her dark skin. She was wearing a thin tiara over her forehead, marked by a small crystal in the center. She had the same crescent marks, the same pointed ears as the announcer. She smiled widely and winked at the camera.

_ “Allura! Allura! Allura!” _ the crowd chanted.

“Princess?” Acxa asked.

“She must be Alfor’s daughter,” Lotor said slowly. “But how can that be possible? He was killed by Zarkon, ten thousand years ago.”

Shiro glanced at the young woman on the screen and then at Lotor. They had the same color hair, the same pointed ears. Could they have the same heritage? What did it mean, even if they did? For some reason Shiro felt uneasy, but the announcer’s next words distracted him.

“The Red Paladin!” the red-haired man continued. They watched as the red pilot made his own dramatic entrance. The picture shuddered and faded, only to resume after a split second.

“What’s happening?” Lotor asked.

The Red Paladin was doing his own set of tricks, striking a pose while the audio wavered in and out, stuttering wildly. The Red Paladin bent to take off his helmet and Shiro leaned forward, enthralled.

“Ke-” the announcer called out. “Ke-ke-ke-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-”

“What is this?” Lotor demanded.

“KeeEEEEEEeeeee ee-e-e-e -” the announcer’s voice rang out through Lotor’s bridge, wavering in tone then falling, distorted until it was like the sound of the devil himself moaning through the speakers.

“Ugh! Shut it down!” Zethrid cried out, clutching at her ears.

The lights on the bridge flickered and Shiro glanced up, nervous, before everything started growing dark with a mechanic whine. A cartoon face popped up on screen, its eyes marked by two big ‘X’s, its mouth turned down like a half moon, a huge lolling tongue hanging out. It blinked back and forth, taunting them, and then everything went black.

They sat in shocked silence for a long moment.

“What. Was-  _ that! _ ” Lotor exclaimed.

Narti was tapping desperately at the dark console in front of her while Acxa looked around nervously, hand hovering over her blaster.

Lotor stood and walked over to Narti. She took his hand in hers and he frowned, shutting his eyes in frustration.

“It’s some kind of virus,” he said. “Like the one they infected Zarkon’s ship with. It was hidden in the transmission- just waiting for someone like us to activate it.”

“What now?” Ezor asked.

“We can manually restart the energy core?” Acxa suggested.

“Good luck getting to it,” Zethrid muttered, “how are we supposed to open the doors without power?”

“Well,” Ezor said, putting her hands on her hips, “what’s the problem? Lotor’s basically dating a can-opener.”

Shiro gaped at her statement and couldn’t help letting out a surprised laugh. The tension in the room lightened at that and even Acxa seemed to relax a bit.

“Bah,” Zethrid said, “the doors to the bridge are triple reinforced- can you even rip through them?” She grinned at Shiro, eyes glittering with excitement. “I doubt it, but I’d like to see you try.”

“I’d put a thousand GAC on  _ can’t _ ,” Acxa muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I’ll take that bet,” Ezor grinned. “Double it if he can do it in less than five doboshes.”

“Let’s just-  _ think _ for a moment before we go ripping up my ship,” Lotor said in a strangled tone of voice, holding up a hand. “The core should reboot on its own within fifteen doboshes- twenty at most. We’re in no immediate danger in this sector, so we can afford to wait. If the power comes back online we will assess the damage. If not we can discuss more drastic measures.”

Zethrid seemed disappointed but didn’t protest.

“I bet you all wish we had snacks now,” Ezor muttered.

 

* * *

 

“We’re here,” Zethrid announced.

“Where?” Shiro asked. The planet before them was not one he'd been to before. It was one of the more odd planets he’d seen, shaped a bit like an apple core. The central column looked to be ocean, with land at the poles.

“Planet Puig,” Acxa explained. “The Voltron paladins liberated it of Galra occupation recently, but they’re too thinly spread now to hold it.”

“What are we going to do?” Shiro asked, nervous. He didn’t really think Lotor would launch an attack on innocent people but at the back of his mind he knew Lotor would do whatever he thought necessary to achieve his goals.

“Nothing,” Lotor said matter-of-factly. “We’re going to hover ominously in their orbit and hope they call their friends for help, at which point we can finally take measure of Voltron for ourselves.”

“Maybe we should go down there and encourage them,” Zethrid said with a grin.

“I’m picking up a transmission,” Acxa said. “They’re sending a message to Voltron.”

“Very good,” Lotor said with a thin smile.

They had to wait nearly an hour for a dark portal to appear in the distance. “We could have destroyed them four times over by now,” Zethrid muttered. “Is this how Voltron protects its allies?"

“Fascinating,” Lotor said, eyes narrowed as he watched the portal, the darkness swirling within. “It must be Altean Teleduv technology. I’ve tried to recreate it, but-”

“The Green Lion is approaching,” Acxa interrupted as a green mark appeared on screen. “Yellow, Blue.”

Shiro watched as they got closer. His heart was beating wild in his chest and he felt cold anxiety rise within him. It looked like he hadn’t been hallucinating that time on the Galra cruiser when Lotor’s guard had launched him into space. Seeing the lions again brought back memories of his capture, of his torture at Haggar’s hands. He had to close his eyes for a moment to center himself, remind himself where he was. He was alive and whole, he’d gotten out, he was safe.

“Launch two dozen fighters,” Lotor ordered casually, almost bored. “Let’s see how they handle themselves.”

“Here’s a novel idea,” Shiro found himself saying. “What if we just- talked to them?”

Lotor looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. “They’re working with the Blades, Shiro. We can’t trust them. And even if we could, why would they trust  _ us _ ?”

“Well-” Shiro started without quite knowing how to finish the sentence.

“Fighters engaging,” Acxa said. “Red Lion is in play.”

“Shiro,” Lotor said quietly, and suddenly Shiro felt like the two of them were the only people in the world. “We only have one shot at this. I believe this strategy has the highest chance of success.” Something about his gaze grew more intense and he reached out to place his hand over Shiro’s own where it was resting on his chair. “Do you trust me?”

For a moment Shiro was lost in Lotor’s eyes, in his sincerity. “Yes,” he said at last. By now he wasn’t even surprised at himself anymore. He trusted Lotor, fully.

“Where’s the Black Lion?” Ezor asked, staring at the screen.

Shiro jumped a little, startled as the world rushed back in. He turned to the main viewport, watching as the fighters ran circles around the Lions. He found his eyes drawn to Red again. Something about the way it was flying was so familiar, but what could it possibly be?

Lotor’s cruiser shook as it took heavy fire and Shiro’s thoughts were forgotten in the face of the blaring alarms.

“What was that?” Lotor demanded.

“There,” Acxa said, pointing. It was a white cruiser with four turrets, firing at them from behind a particle barrier.

“Zethrid, fire the ion cannon,” Lotor said. “Graze them, we don’t want to destroy that ship, just… encourage the Black Lion to come out and play, if it’s in there.”

“Yes, sir,” Zethrid grinned.

“Ezor, launch half our remaining fighters.”

“Yup!”

Shiro watched as the Lions and their cruiser were steadily beaten back by Lotor’s forces. This was the team that had defeated Zarkon? Something didn’t add up.

“Disappointing,” Lotor said sadly after a few minutes. “I’ve seen enough. Pull back.”

“What! Why not crush them now?” Zethrid demanded, lost in blood lust.

“The point isn’t to crush them,” Lotor said sharply. “We still need them. But not like this. If this is all they have to offer I have little use for them.”

“Recalling the fighters,” Ezor confirmed.

“Prepare for an interstellar jump,” Lotor said. “Ready-”

“Three- two- one,” Acxa counted down. The stars around them blurred into thin lines and they were speeding away from Puig, away from the Lions.

Narti raised her hand to catch their attention as she pressed a button on her console. A warning popped up on screen, showing a round alien device on their hull- a tracker. Lotor smiled.

“So it appears they still have some fight in them,” he said. “Are they following?”

“Yes,” Acxa said.

“Change course towards Thayserix,” Lotor said. “And ready my fighter.”

“Wait,” Shiro said, putting his hand on Lotor’s shoulder. “I’ll do it.”

“Are you sure?” Lotor asked, frowning.

“You should stay here in the command center, in case the Black Lion shows up,” Shiro said, resolute. It wasn’t untrue, but mostly he was itching to see the Red Lion up close and he knew this was his chance. “I’ll lead them through their paces on Thayserix, see how they handle themselves.”

“Be careful,” Lotor said, nodding.

Shiro smiled tightly before hurrying to the hangar. He climbed into the Thermican ship and fired up the engines as he waited for the go-ahead to launch. His palm was sweating. Why was he so nervous?

“Do you read me?” he heard Lotor’s voice through the speakers in his helmet.

“Loud and clear.”

“You’re clear for launch.”

The hangar door started opening and Shiro took a deep breath. He hit the throttle and flew out of the cruiser faster than he’d thought possible. He’d piloted the Thermican ship before of course but now, with his adrenaline pumping, it was an entirely different experience.

“Incoming,” Lotor said just before Shiro saw them. Four of the Lions, all but Black, popped into space around him. He didn’t slow down as he blew through their formation. His fighter was so much faster than their ships, so much more maneuverable. He fired past Yellow’s bow as he sped up, easily evading their retaliatory fire. He thread the needle between the four of them, tricking them into firing at each other until they were good and riled up, and then he turned his course directly into the gas planet’s atmosphere.

They followed recklessly and soon the five of them were speeding through the volatile atmosphere and only Shiro knew where they were going. He slowed a little as the Lions fell back, realizing the trap they were in. He circled back around and focused in on the Red Lion. It was isolated now, the Paladins had lost each other when their sensors failed in the volatile magnetic field.

“Status?” Lotor’s voice rang through the intercom.

“I’m good,” Shiro said, watching the Red Lion through his sensors. He couldn’t quite figure it out. The tactics, the flying style- it was almost like what they taught at the Garrison, what Shiro used to teach. He shadowed the alien craft for a while, hoping his instincts would resolve into a clear answer soon.

He gasped when the Red Lion spotted him and gave chase. Its lasers came close to hitting him a few times, too close. Whoever this pilot was he was good, maybe even better than Shiro. Nervous now, Shiro steered them towards a dense cloud of red syntian nitrate. The next time the Lion fired it was engulfed in a cloud of fire, giving Shiro the chance to break away.

“The Black Lion has arrived- return to the ship,  _ now _ .”

Shiro pulled up on his controls, racing back to Lotor’s cruiser. His fighter shook with some kind of sonic wave and he glanced at his sensors to see the Blue Lion moving with purpose now, collecting its team mates and leading them up and away from the gas planet. They were regrouping.

Shiro passed the Black Lion, majestic in the starlight as it attacked Lotor’s ship. The nose of the cruiser was glowing purple as it fired its powerful ion cannon. The Black Lion evaded the assault easily, its wings engaging to give it a boost of speed.

As Shiro moved to dock he saw the other four Lions rise out of Thaserix’s atmosphere and fly in formation towards Black. There was a flash of light too bright to look at directly and Shiro found himself gaping as he saw an enormous robotic-  _ man _ drifting through space, turning slowly to face Lotor’s cruiser. It brought its fists together and suddenly it was holding a glowing sword.

“Shiro?  _ Hurry.  _ We’re leaving.”

Shiro gritted his teeth as he raced for the open hangar door. The cruiser was shaking, preparing for the next jump before Shiro had even landed. “I’m docked!” he said. He saw the stars blur through the still-closing hangar door, and then there was silence.

“Are they following?” he asked cautiously, easing his hands off the flight controls.

“No,” Lotor said. Even in that short word, Shiro could tell how delighted the Galra prince was. He found himself smiling, his heart rate slowing down.

“That was... something,” he said finally, leaning his head back against the headrest of his seat.

“Yes,” Lotor said, and Shiro could practically hear his satisfied smirk. “It looks as though we can proceed as planned.”

 

* * *

 

Shiro felt a little dirty about the way they’d tricked Voltron into retrieving the trans-dimensional comet for them, but he also couldn’t deny Lotor had been right about his tactic of choice. The prince was in a particularly good mood for the following few weeks as he set his droids to work on constructing three trans-dimensional ships.

They were breathtaking, even unfinished. The comet’s material gleamed like an oil-slick, refracting the light oddly. Shiro often found himself drawn to the cargo bay where construction was taking place and staring until he felt his gut start roiling unpleasantly and he had to look away, dizzy. There was something unsettling about the way the light moved over the metal, and when he caught reflections of himself on the dark surface of the ships, sometimes he felt like he was looking at someone else, himself from some other time, some other reality.

While the construction was proceeding in the hold they stayed away from Voltron and the Galra alike and Shiro wondered how long the tenuous peace and quiet could possibly last. It all came to an abrupt end while Shiro and Lotor were running sword drills on the training deck when the ship shook, taking heavy fire.

Alarms blared out, echoing through the cruiser.

“What’s going on?” Lotor demanded frantically into the comms.

“We’re under attack!” Zethrid’s voice answered.

“Is it Volton?” Lotor asked as he sprinted for the bridge, Shiro hot on his heels.

“It’s a Galra fleet-”

“Put me through to them.”

“You’re on.”

“This is Prince Lotor of the Galra Empire,” Lotor said a little breathlessly as they entered the lift. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Stand down!”

The ship shook again and the lights flickered ominously. Shiro looked around, uneasy.

“No response,” Zethrid said.

Lotor cursed as they strode out onto the bridge. The other generals were already there, staring through the viewscreen at the Galra fleet surrounding the cruiser.

“Launch the drones, return fire,” Lotor ordered.

Ezor sprung into action and Zethrid turned to the controls with relish to power up the ion cannon. A small warning popped up on screen, there were ships incoming.

“It’s another fleet,” Shiro said, wide eyed as a second fleet warped out of space. And then another, and another, until they were staring down the face of what was easily the entire Imperial Armada. “What’s happening?” Shiro whispered.

“Lotor,” Acxa said, “we’re picking up a transmission.”

“Put it through.”

Zarkon’s voice rang out through the speakers, deep and ominous. Every word felt like ice spilling down Shiro’s back.

_ Attention, citizens of the Galra Empire. From this day forward, my son Lotor is to be regarded as a fugitive criminal of the Empire. All citizens are authorized to use deadly force to stop him or any of his soldiers.  _

_ I repeat, Prince Lotor is an enemy of the state. Engage with extreme prejudice.  _

_ Kill on sight. _

There was a shocked pause, then all the ships began firing on them at once.

Lotor was the first to get his bearings. “Narti- are the Sincline ships operational?” At her nod he set his jaw. “Good. Ezor- launch the rest of the drones. Zethrid- start the ion cannon overload and Acxa- divert all remaining power to the defenses. We’re leaving.”

“What the hell is going on?” Zethrid demanded as they rushed to the cargo bay.

The ship shook harder and the main lights powered down with a whine, leaving only flashing emergency lights to guide their way. There was a sound like metal tearing and a boom so loud Shiro went momentarily deaf before the floor tipped beneath them and the six of them tumbled against a wall. Shiro saw Lotor cry out, his ears still ringing too loudly to register any sound. A sparking ceiling panel crashed down on top of them and Shiro acted on instinct, springing forward to grip it with his Galra arm before tossing it away from them.

Lotor was looking at him oddly, something almost like suspicion in his narrowed eyes, and then he grabbed Shiro’s left arm and yanked him onwards.

They made it to the hangar where the Sincline ships loomed over them in the darkness, shining with some faint inner light. The alarms had gone silent, all major systems were shorted out or destroyed. Even the emergency lights were starting to sputter and fade.

“It’s because of the ships, isn’t it?” Ezor said quietly.

“I’m afraid that’s the only explanation,” Lotor said.

“How did Zarkon find out?” Acxa asked.

“There’s no way! We’re the only ones who knew about them!” Zethrid protested, throwing her hands up in frustration. An icy silence fell over the people gathered in the cargo bay.

“There’s a spy among us,” Lotor said, voice devoid of all emotion. That emptiness made a shiver run down Shiro’s spine. Lotor looked up, staring right at him, and Shiro found he couldn’t move, couldn’t understand what he was seeing. Lotor’s gaze was suddenly blank, bottomless.

“Lotor?” Shiro asked, confused. Why was Lotor looking at him like that?

Lotor moved faster than Shiro could react, crossing the distance between them in a few quick steps, drawing his sword while Shiro just stared. The blade flashed in the darkness and Shiro staggered back at the impact, still not quite sure what had happened. He felt no pain but there was static hissing around him, then sparks enveloped him and he was on fire. 

He screamed in agony as he fell to his knees, his body spasming as electricity pulsed through him. He could taste blood and smoke, could smell it everywhere. He ran out of air to scream, to breathe, couldn’t gasp hard enough to fill his lungs.

His vision was going dark and hazy but he could see Lotor standing over him, and beyond him- Shiro’s arm. His Galra arm, lying severed on the ground, the stump still twitching and sparking in the darkness.

 

* * *

 

Shiro woke to a pulsing headache and the taste of stale vomit. That part was uncomfortably familiar, except- no. That wasn’t right. He frowned as he tried to get his bearings. The last few months with Lotor- that had been real. 

Hadn’t it?

He opened his eyes slowly, wincing against the sudden wave of nausea. He was lying on a wide bed in a dimly lit room on what was undeniably a Galra ship, decorated by familiar blue and orange accents. Those colors alone made him feel safe, calm. He wasn’t tied down. There was an I.V. line in the crook of his left elbow but that didn’t cause the same spike of fear in him as it had before. He felt like he’d been run over by a train, maybe he needed whatever medicine was being pumped into his veins. His other arm was- different. It was darker, marked by orange and blue accents at the elbow and wrist. The surface of the metal gleamed like an oil slick.

The nausea came back in full force and Shiro looked away, breathing deeply. That was when he saw Lotor, asleep in a chair beside the bed. The position he was slumped in didn’t look at all comfortable, his arms were crossed over his chest and his hands clenched into fists like he was having a bad dream.

Shiro licked his lips, finally remembering what had happened in the hangar. It all seemed hazy, like a distant nightmare. The only thing he knew for sure was that Lotor hadn’t been trying to kill him or else he wouldn’t be waking up now, or ever.

“Lotor?” he asked hoarsely.

Lotor woke with a start and looked up at him. He had dark circles under his eyes and a healing cut over his cheek; he looked pale. He brushed his hair back from his face nervously in a way Shiro had never seen him do before. His heart sped up a little at that- something was very wrong.

“You’re awake,” Lotor said slowly. “How do you feel?”

“Like someone cut my arm off and tossed me off a cliff,” Shiro said. He’d been aiming for a bit of dark humor but Lotor’s expression crumpled into despair before he looked down, hiding his face from view.

“I’m sorry, Shiro,” he said, voice hitching. “I’m so sorry for hurting you, for scaring you. I should have realized sooner- I had Haggar’s notes, but I- I was so caught up in-”

“Hey,” Shiro interrupted gently. He turned his left hand so it was palm-up, curling his fingers a little in invitation. Lotor stared for a long moment before he reached out, hesitantly covering Shiro’s hand with his own. His palm was warm and calloused, familiar. Shiro tightened his fingers around him.

“You think Haggar was using the arm to spy on us?”

“Not the whole time. Narti examined you, after I-” Lotor swallowed. “It was connected to your spinal cord, your nervous system. It was gradually calibrating itself to your biology, increasing in functionality. In time, Haggar might have gained complete control over your body.”

Shiro couldn’t help shivering at the thought. “But you stopped it,” he said.

“Yes. But I should have known she’d be capable of this! I should have-”

“Hey,” Shiro said, squeezing Lotor’s hand. “It’s in the past now. I see I have a brand new arm,” he changed the subject. He raised his right arm experimentally, wiggling his fingers. It was lighter than the other one had been, the joints still stiff with disuse.

“We stripped the parts we needed from the Sincline ships. There wasn’t anything else.”

Shiro could feel Lotor’s hand shaking in his own and squeezed a little tighter.

“What happened?” he asked. “How long have I been out?”

Lotor exhaled heavily, his eyes suspiciously bright in the darkness. “We got away from Zarkon’s armada, as you may have guessed, though it was a near thing. Voltron was there somehow, distracted them long enough to cover our escape. We’re on Daibazaal, the remains of the Galra homeworld. We’ve been here for over a movement, trying to get the gate to the rift open.”

Lotor pulled away to cross his arms over his chest. He sat hunched in on himself, hair hanging down over his face like a curtain. “It’s no use. All this- I’ve lost everything I’ve worked my whole life to build. Thousands of years... it’s all been for nothing.”   
  
“I’m sorry,” Shiro whispered, his heart seizing in his chest.

Lotor laughed bitterly. “It’s not your fault. It’s no one’s fault but my own.”

“Hey,” Shiro tried for a smile. “You still have the rest of us, you still have the Sincline ships. You haven’t lost anything that can’t be replaced.”

Lotor swiped at his face, shivering. “You’re right,” he whispered. “You’re right, of course. We’re alive, that’s the important thing. But it just feels so- so... hopeless.”

“Come here,” Shiro said, moving his left arm with a wince to make space for Lotor on the bed.

Lotor looked up and it was undeniable now that tears were streaming down his face. “Why aren’t you angry with me?” he asked, voice small. “The things I’ve done- to you, to everyone. I-”

“You’re doing the best you can,” Shiro said firmly. “Now, come here,” he added, a bit more insistently.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Lotor said. He smiled bitterly and wiped roughly at his eyes. “Not more than I already have.”

“You won’t, come on.”

Lotor slowly straightened and stood from his chair with a wince. How long had he been waiting for Shiro to wake? He moved carefully, like Shiro might change his mind at any moment and send him away instead.

Shiro just waited, watching expectantly as Lotor lowered himself to the bed beside him and tucked his head against his shoulder, careful not to jostle the I.V. Shiro closed his eyes as he felt Lotor’s warm weight settle against his side and cautiously used his new hand to pull Lotor’s arm over his waist.

He could feel Lotor shuddering against him, knew there was nothing he could say to make him feel better. Shiro settled for action instead, tightening his grip around the other man as much as he could and holding him close.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Next Up: Part IX: Paladins**
> 
>  
> 
> The bay was silent, the atmosphere brittle and crackling with distrust. Lotor heard Shiro’s sharp intake of breath over their comms and Shiro took a step forward. The Paladins tensed, shifting to point their weapons at him.
> 
> “Keith?” Shiro asked.


	9. Part IX: Paladins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bay was silent, the atmosphere brittle and crackling with distrust. Lotor heard Shiro’s sharp intake of breath over their comms and Shiro took a step forward. The Paladins tensed, shifting to point their weapons at him.
> 
> “Keith?” Shiro asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my beta [Lutz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lutz/pseuds/lutz) you're the best!

 

* * *

 

 

“We knew this might happen,” Lotor said.

The cockpits of the Sincline ships were too small to fit all of them so they were gathered in a cargo hold, huddled around a small projection of a map of the universe. “We prepared for this.”

He looked up, glancing around the circle. Shiro managed a small smile when Lotor’s eyes fell on him.

“Ezor- are you still on good terms with the Golden Raiders?”

“My mother’s pirate fleet?” Ezor asked, grinning. “Yeah, I’ve always been her favorite.”

“You and Zethrid will take one of the ships and join up with them. You’ll be safe there for now, maybe you can slowly bring them around to our cause.”

“You got it, boss!” Ezor said, saluting.

“Narti, Acxa- your task will be more difficult. See if you can find your way back in with the Galra. Commander Trugg may be a good option, maybe Commander Gnov. Tell them you’ve betrayed me and they should be open to negotiation. For leverage-”

Lotor turned to the map, highlighting a handful of locations.

“Tell them about these- I’ve been stockpiling quintessence here, here, and here,” he said, punctuating his words by pointing to the map. “I have hidden manufacturing facilities here and here,” he finished. “I’ll send you the coordinates and access codes.”

“Alright,” Acxa said slowly while Narti nodded.

“Before you go,” Lotor said quietly, not meeting Shiro’s eyes. “Take Shiro home.”

Shiro laughed. “Are you serious?” he asked.

Lotor looked up at him, eyebrows drawn down in worry. “This isn’t your fight, and I am no longer in the position to protect you.”

Shiro laughed again at the pure absurdity of it all. “This became my fight when the Galra first captured me. You can’t just send me home like I’m a misbehaving child.”

“Shiro-”

“Besides, you’ll want me with you when you give yourself up to Voltron.”

Lotor’s eyes widened in shock at Shiro’s statement. No doubt he thought his plans were inscrutable, but Shiro knew him well enough now to understand how his mind worked. He’d willingly sacrifice himself for a chance to punch back against the Galra Empire and right now there was only one player left powerful enough to deal the blow.

“What is he talking about?” Acxa demanded.

“That’s what you’re planning, isn’t it?” Shiro asked. “That’s the part you’ve left out while you give everyone their orders.”

Lotor rubbed at his temples, frowning.

“Is he right?” Zethrid asked. “It’s too dangerous, you don’t know what they’ll do to you.”

“I understand your concerns,” Lotor started slowly, the statement as good as an admission, only to be immediately drowned out by a wave of protests. Even Kova made his opinion known, meowing angrily from his spot on Narti’s shoulder.

“It’s not the worst plan,” Shiro said once the generals had quieted down a bit. “We never actually hurt them, not really. And you’ve said it yourself- they were there during our escape. They know you’re a fugitive from the Galra. There’s a possibility, a slim one, that they’d be willing to work with us.

“Besides, the Blue Lion was found on Earth. There’s a chance at least one of the pilots is human, and if that’s the case, it would help to have me there with you.”

“No offense,” Ezor said, “but your people are extremely primitive. It’s pretty unlikely they’d be able to pilot a Lion, impossible even.”

“You can’t just- tell primitives they’re primitive!” Zethrid hissed, nudging Ezor in the side.

Shiro couldn’t help but smile at their exchange before he turned back to Lotor, searching his eyes to try and guess what he was thinking. He wouldn’t refuse, would he?

Lotor was silent so Shiro pressed his advantage.

“You know I’m right about this,” he said quietly. “Besides, I’m not leaving you. Not without a fight.”

Lotor closed his eyes, though Shiro couldn’t be sure if it was with relief or resignation. He didn’t care either way. He wasn’t leaving, not of his own free will. Lotor would just have to come to terms with that, whether he liked it or not.

 

* * *

 

Lotor stepped down from the ship, Shiro at his back. He was nervous, though he tried not to let it show. The Paladins had let them dock but that didn’t mean they’d get out of this alive. He was careful not to make any sudden moves, kept his hands in full view as best he could.

He examined the six people before them, all aiming blasters at their heads. The announcer was the first one he recognized, standing off to the side, frowning from behind his bristling orange mustache. Beside him stood the Black Paladin, the Altean princess. Her face seemed drawn, obviously pale even being partially hidden by her visor. She wore a brace around her leg, maybe she’d been injured during their fight with Zarkon. Maybe that was why the Black Lion had been so slow to engage.

The others were little more than children, all but one were impossibly small. This was the team that had taken down his father? It hardly seemed possible.

Lotor kept his hands up as he heard Shiro drop to the ground at his back, feeling the relief of not being alone warring with dread over putting his lover in this dangerous situation. The bay was silent, the atmosphere brittle and crackling with distrust. He heard Shiro’s sharp intake of breath over their comms and Shiro took a step forward. The Paladins tensed, shifting to point their weapons at him.

“Keith?” Shiro asked.

“What are you doing?” Lotor hissed but Shiro only stepped forward again, ignoring him.

“Keith,” he said, louder.

The Red Paladin faltered, eyes widening as his hands started to shake.

“Don’t move,” the Altean princess ordered.

Shiro ignored her warning and reached back to yank his helmet off before letting it drop haphazardly to the ground.

The Red Paladin gasped, wide-eyed as he stared at Shiro’s face. His blaster began to glow before it vanished and he let his hands fall to his sides. Everyone else, all but the princess and the other Altean, suddenly seemed unsure.

“Shiro?” the Red Paladin asked, voice wavering.

Lotor frowned, confused at this turn of events. Was it possible? Could they know each other? He felt his heart sinking and tried to stifle the feeling. He should be happy for Shiro, that he was being reunited with old friends, that he would be safe with the Paladins. But he couldn’t, not when he suddenly felt so alone.

“Shiro!” the Red Paladin cried out and rushed forward, Shiro moving to meet him. They embraced in the middle of the bay and Shiro laughed, tightening his hold around the boy and spinning him around. “They said you were dead- pilot error-”

“Keith, how-” Shiro was saying, “no, it was-” he broke off as he looked up. “Katie? Is that really you?” he asked and the Green Paladin lowered her weapon as well. The Blue and Yellow Paladins were staring wide-eyed at what was happening before them. They’d let their blasters drop, not aiming at anything in particular anymore. Did they know Shiro as well?

“Katie! I found your father- Lotor helped me free him. He’s on his way to Earth now, he’s safe.”

The Green Paladin was crying as she rushed forward and Shiro enveloped her in his grip, still holding tight to the Red Paladin with his other arm.

“I looked for Matt, but-”

“He’s here, I found him. Captain Shiro-”

“He’s here? That’s amazing- I can’t wait to see him-!” Shiro laughed, a smile like Lotor had never seen before lighting up his face.

The bay was filled with laughter and when Shiro looked up again there were tears of happiness streaming down his face. “Cadets?” he asked. “Cadets Hunk and Lance? How did you-”

“You know my name?” the Blue Paladin gasped, eyes wide, while the Yellow Paladin just rushed forward into the pile, dragging the other with him.

Lotor wasn’t sure what he was seeing and looked up to meet the equally confused gazes of the Alteans. For a long moment the three of them could only watch, shocked, at the group hug happening before them.

Finally the Paladins moved back until it was just Shiro and the Red Paladin standing close, staring at each other.

“Am I to understand you all vouch for this man?” the princess said at last.

“Uhh- do we vouch for Captain Takashi Shirogane, _legend_ of the Garrison?” the Yellow Paladin asked.

“Yeah we do!” the Blue Paladin said, pumping his fist victoriously.

“Very well,” the princess said. “Bring him to the guest quarters and take Prince Lotor to the brig.”

Shiro stiffened and turned to the princess, raising his hands.

“I think there’s been a misunderstanding,” he said slowly. “Lotor is not your enemy.”

“There is no misunderstanding,” the princess said cooly.

“We came here together and we’re staying together, or else we’re leaving- together. If you’re taking him to the brig, you’d better take me too.”

“It’s alright Shiro, I’ll go,” Lotor said quietly, but he couldn’t deny the thrill he felt at Shiro’s words.

“What are you talking about?” the Red Paladin, Keith, said. “Whatever he did to you, threatened you with- you’re with us now! You’re free!”

“Keith,” Shiro said, “this may be difficult for you to believe, but I’ve been free for months now, ever since Lotor rescued me from Haggar’s lab.”

“Then- then you don’t know what he’s done. He nearly got us trapped in an alternate dimension- he lured us to a gas planet and tried to hunt us down while our sensors were down. I nearly blew myself up, I could have died!”

“Keith- I was the one piloting that ship.”

Keith took a step backwards, a look like fear in his eyes.

“Obviously if I’d known who you were,” Shiro was saying, looking up at all of them now. “We would have handled things a little differently. But we weren’t trying to hurt you-”

Keith turned and stormed out of the hangar while the other humans shared an uneasy look.

“ _Enough_ ,” the princess said firmly. “Take both of them to the brig until we sort this out.”

“Sorry about this, Captain Shiro,” the Yellow Paladin said awkwardly.

“It’s alright, Hunk,” Shiro said. He turned back, looking at Lotor for the first time since they’d stepped foot on the Altean castle ship. “Ready?”

Lotor nodded and walked forward until he was standing at Shiro’s side. Shiro put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze before letting go.

“I guess let’s go… to jail?” the Blue Paladin said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

“Lead the way, Lance,” Shiro said with a nod.

They made a rather odd procession through the halls of the castle, Hunk and Lance leading the way awkwardly while the Alteans stayed behind them, no doubt keeping their blasters pointed at Lotor’s back. The little Green Paladin, Katie, talked animatedly the whole way, gesticulating wildly. Her spirits, at least, were not dampened by the situation.

“Just wait until I tell Matt- he’s not gonna believe it! And you got dad out? Mom’s going to be so happy-”

Finally they were standing in front of a raised circular platform in an otherwise empty hangar bay.

“Prince Lotor, if you please,” the princess said with mock formality, waving up at the platform. “Captain Shiro, your cell will be-”

“This is fine,” Shiro interrupted. “For both of us.”

“But there’s only one bed,” Lance said dubiously.

“We’ll be fine,” Shiro said again. He looked over at Lotor. This was their last chance to leave and they both knew it. Lotor nodded discreetly and they stepped up onto the platform together.

The Altean princess typed a command into a nearby panel and a glowing forcefield powered up around them, humming faintly. It was only then that she allowed her blaster to disappear.

“Thank you for your cooperation,” she said tersely. “I’m sure we’ll be speaking with you very soon.”

“Yeah!” Katie said with a grin, either not understanding the gravity of the situation or choosing to ignore it. “I’m gonna go grab Matt, he’s definitely gonna want to say hi.” She was so excited she practically skipped out of the hangar.

“Um, bye Captain Shiro!” Hunk said. “Or- I mean. Are you hungry? You’ve gotta be hungry. I can fix you something to eat, or drink, or-”

“We’ll be fine, Hunk. Thank you.”

“Ok, well. Just let me know! There are cameras- duh, of course, you probably knew that. Just- give a little wave if you need anything.”

“ _Hunk_ ,” the Altean princess hissed.

“Right. Well. I’ll be seeing you?”

“Yes,” Shiro said, nodding.

“Um-” Lance said, blushing brightly. “I just wanted to say- you’re an inspiration and it’s an honor meet you,” he said in a rush, his words blurring together. “Hopefully you’ll be out of jail soon.”

“It’s an honor to meet you too, Lance.”

“That’s enough,” the princess said, rubbing at her temples. “Let’s let them... rest, alright? Let’s go.”

The four of them left, but right before the bay door closed the male Altean, the announcer from the Voltron video, turned around and glared at Lotor, pointing to his eyes and back at him a few times in what was clearly an _I’m watching you_ motion.

“Well,” Shiro said once they were alone. “That didn’t really go how I was expecting it to.”

Lotor laughed. “No, it really didn’t.”

He looked around but there wasn’t much to see. The cell was empty except for the large bed. He sat down and bent forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

“So you’re famous, I take it?” he asked, thinking of the way Hunk had called Shiro a _legend_.

“I have a certain reputation amongst Earth pilots,” Shiro said humbly.

“That’s what you meant, when you said it would be good to have you along in the event any of the Paladins were human.”

Shiro blushed, turning away. “Yes. There was no way of saying it that didn’t make me sound like an ass, though.”

Lotor paused, not knowing what else to say. He hadn’t considered Shiro’s life before he’d met him, not really. And now Shiro’s past may hold the key to Lotor’s, and the entire universe’s, future.

“Not that I don’t appreciate you standing up for me, but don’t you think it may have been more helpful for you to be outside? With them?”

Shiro shrugged. He was staring at the forcefield and slowly raising his left hand towards it.

“You probably shouldn’t touch that,” Lotor said.

Shiro touched it. There was a faint fizzle and he jerked back, wincing. He brought his fingertips to his lips and turned around, moving to sit beside Lotor on the bed.

“I’m making a point,” he said, dropping his hand to briefly squeeze Lotor’s knee. “We’re a package deal. When I said I wasn’t leaving you, I didn’t just mean while the chips were down for me. I meant- always.”

Lotor’s heart sped up and he was filled with warmth. He’d known Shiro cared for him, of course he had, but he hadn’t realized he’d cared for him like this. It was a heady feeling. Most of all he wanted to kiss Shiro in that moment but he knew he couldn’t. Even if Hunk hadn’t mentioned the cameras Lotor would have guessed they were being monitored. They’d caused enough of a stir for now, it was time to stay quiet, lay low.

“Thank you,” he said. The warmth of Shiro’s smile would have to be enough.

 

* * *

 

Shiro still couldn’t quite believe it. Out of the seven people on the ship, he personally knew five of them. It was barely fifteen minutes before Katie and Matt came back, Matt looking skeptical up until he asked Shiro their code phrase. Shiro had thought Matt was being paranoid when he’d first suggested it years ago, but he couldn’t deny it was helpful now.

He sat cross-legged on the floor of the cell as close to the barrier as he could while Matt and Katie sat equally close on the other side, listening with rapt attention as he told them the story of how he’d rescued Sam. They made him tell it three times before they were satisfied, laughing wildly as he described Sam’s face when he realized they’d hitched a ride on a trash truck.

“The ship he’s on,” Katie said. “Do you know the comm signature? Maybe we can contact him.”

“I’m sorry,” Shiro said, wincing. “That data was stored on Lotor’s cruiser, when it was destroyed-”

“I know it,” Lotor spoke up.

“Really?” Katie asked, wide eyed.

Lotor looked up from where he’d been intensely examining his fingernails while he pretended not to eavesdrop and rattled off a long string of letters and numbers. “Would you like to write that down?” he asked, arching one of his brows pointedly.

“No, I got it,” Katie said. She and her brother stood, grinning. “We’re gonna go see if we can call dad. If we reach him we’ll tell him you said hello.”

“Thanks,” Shiro said with a smile.

At least once per day the princess and her steward, Coran, came in to interrogate them. Lotor calmly gave up Galra military secrets one by one, denying the Alteans nothing. As the days wore on Shiro started wondering how long it would take for them to be let out of the brig, when the Alteans would finally deem they’d given enough, that they were being genuine.

Aside from periodic visits from Matt and the Paladins- all but Keith who still refused to come talk to him, a fact that made Shiro’s heart ache whenever he thought of it- there really wasn’t much for them to do. They passed the time as best they could while Lotor slowly grew more withdrawn. When Shiro asked what was troubling him, Lotor only hedged and deflected his concerns.

By Shiro’s count they stayed in the odd state of limbo for a little over two weeks. The waiting and the demands for information slowly became routine until he didn’t even bother looking up when Princess Allura and her steward returned yet again.

“Prince Lotor, we need you to come with us,” Allura said.

That was new. Shiro looked up and saw Keith standing awkwardly beside Coran. The Alteans seemed the same as always but Keith looked tense, nervous as he refused to meet Shiro’s gaze.

“Certainly,” Lotor said magnanimously. Allura lowered the barrier and Lotor stepped out before Shiro had even managed to stand. By the time he made to follow the forcefield was back, trapping him inside.

“What’s going on?” Shiro demanded, frowning as he watched Lotor stoically present his wrists to Allura so she could shackle him. “Where are you taking him?” he asked, frantic now. “Keith? What are you doing? _Keith_!”

Keith flinched a little at Shiro’s tone and looked up at him at last. “I’m sorry, Shiro,” he said.

Shiro felt like he’d just been plunged into a bucket of ice. “Sorry? Keith, what-” but clearly that was all Keith was going to say. “Lotor?” Shiro tried.

Lotor looked back at him, face perfectly blank. “Goodbye, Shiro,” he said.

“What?” Shiro gasped, panicked. “No.” He didn’t notice he’d clenched his hands into fists, that his entire body was shaking. There was a ringing in his ears, slowly growing louder as he watched them lead Lotor out of the room. “No!” he yelled, slamming his hand into the forcefield.

There was a sound like a bell reverberating inside his skull and a wave of energy jolted through him, throwing him backwards. He’d lost consciousness before he even hit the ground.

 

* * *

 

“I’m curious, what did my father offer you?” Lotor asked mildly as he followed the princess through the halls. He wasn’t surprised Zarkon was willing to make a trade for him, the only surprise was that he’d apparently offered something valuable enough the Paladins were willing to deal with him at all.

“A prisoner exchange,” Princess Allura said stiffly after a moment.

“May I ask who it is?” He wondered if she’d tell him. It didn’t really matter one way or the other, his fate was sealed. Why bother keeping secrets?

Allura threw a glance back at him, frowning, but chose to stay silent.

Very well. He’d only asked the question to distract himself from his fate.

Would Zarkon execute him immediately, quick and clean, or would he draw it out, make a show if it as an example for others? Maybe he’d be given over to Haggar and turned into some kind of mindless beast, made to serve the Empire despite himself. Lotor shivered. He’d find a way to end it before it came to that.

He thought of Shiro back in the cell. He hoped he hadn’t hurt himself too badly, rushing at the forcefield like that. At least he’d be safe now, away from Lotor’s schemes and enemies, or so he could hope. He smiled a little at the thought. Maybe Shiro would finally get to go home.

“I’ll take him,” Keith said once they got to a central room with five doors, marked by the colors of the Lions.

“Are you sure?” Princess Allura asked. “He’s dangerous.”

“I’m sure. Pidge and I can handle him,” Keith said, looking up at Lotor oddly. “Red and Green are the fastest, anyway. Black and the others should stay out of range as back up.”

“Very well. Be careful.”

Keith smiled tightly before taking Lotor by the upper arm and leading him onwards, towards the red door. Lotor didn’t bother protesting, knowing it wouldn’t do any good. The Red Paladin hated him most out of all of them, thought of him as some sort of thief that had stolen Shiro away from them. Maybe he was right. Maybe if Lotor hadn’t made his move during their initial attack against Sendak’s ship they would have rescued Shiro instead. Maybe he could have been with his friends this whole time, instead of alone in enemy territory. But Lotor had been selfish and greedy and here it was- his comeuppance.

“What did you do to him?” Keith asked, staring straight ahead as they entered a lift.

Lotor sighed. “You won’t believe me no matter what I say. Why bother asking?”

“Tell me.”

“I stole him out of Haggar’s clutches,” Lotor said slowly. “I found the coordinates for Earth, and I helped him rescue his friend, Samuel Holt. I tried to help him get home.”

“Why?” Keith demanded.

“I don’t know,” Lotor said quietly. “He’s-” he broke off, swallowing around the sudden knot in his throat. There were no words to describe Shiro that would be adequate. “He chose to stay with me. I gave him every opportunity to leave, I offered him a ship to take him to Earth. Before we came here, I urged him to go home. But despite all of it, he chose to stay.”

Keith was silent for a long moment and then he sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Yeah, he does that,” he said at last. “Dammit.” He looked up at Lotor, eyes narrowed as he pointed accusingly at Lotor’s chest. “If he’s wrong about you- I’ll kill you myself.”

“What?” Lotor asked, confused about the turn the interaction was taking.

“Shit, Allura’s gonna kill me,” Keith was muttering as he reached out and opened Lotor’s cuffs.

“What are you doing?”

“Giving you a chance,” Keith said. “Here,” he held out his bayard.

Lotor took it uncertainly. He’d never used a weapon like it before but he’d seen how it could change into different forms depending on what the user required. He focused his intent and was surprised to see the weapon glowing before it turned into a long purple blade.

“Never seen it do that before,” Keith said with interest.

“Did I break it?”

The boy grinned. “No. Come on, put it away and pretend you’re still a prisoner. We’ve gotta go.”

 

* * *

 

Shiro woke with a gasp. His head was pounding and he suddenly felt so cold he couldn’t stop shaking. His whole body protested as he forced himself to sit up, heart sinking as he realized he was still alone in the cell. How long had it been since they’d taken Lotor away? What for? Why had Keith apologized, and why had Lotor said goodbye the way he had?

There was no possible reality in which any of this could be anything but bad. Did they expect him to just sit around and wait? Do nothing while he had no idea what was happening, if Lotor was alright? Shiro was terrified, the walls closing in on him as he felt panic rising, choking him. Fear was paralyzing, fear would get him nowhere. Anger, on the other hand, was something he could use. Shiro took a deep breath and let the first hot curl of it bloom deep inside his chest.

The ringing in his ears was back but now it sounded more like the rising tide, wailing through him. He set his jaw and got to his feet, suddenly furious. A strange but not entirely unfamiliar energy coursed through him and he wasn’t surprised to see his Sincline arm glowing, crackling tendrils of purple lightning running along the surface. He could smell ozone in the air and smiled grimly as he closed his hand into a fist, moving with singular purpose now.

He grunted as he thrust his fist at the barrier, throwing his full weight behind the blow. His hand sank through it up to the wrist and he had to grit his teeth against the energy pulsing through and around him. It burned and tore at him but he didn’t shy away from the pain, using it as fuel instead. He heard that sound like a bell again, resonating through him and making the very air shake. The Sincline arm was glowing so brightly Shiro had to shut his eyes.

He pushed forward with a yell and the arm pulsed, crackling and whining with an unearthly shuddering sound half way between a metallic screech and something like human screaming, or maybe that was just him. He could smell something burning as the barrier sputtered and finally shattered like glass. Stumbling forward at the sudden lack of resistance, he managed to catch himself just in time to avoid falling off the platform.

Alarms blared out through the cargo bay only to be silenced when Shiro thrust his still-glowing hand through the control panel and ripped blindly at the electronics within. The overhead lighting went dark with a whine but Shiro didn’t care, he had all the light he needed from the energy coursing over his body.

He didn’t bother trying the panel at the door, didn’t care if it was locked or not. He ripped into the metal with inhuman strength and peeled back four inches of solid steel like it was tissue paper before he stepped through the hole he’d made into the hall. The destruction was impossibly satisfying, stoking his anger to higher and higher levels until he was shaking with it, hot poison coursing through his veins.

How _dare_ they? Who did they think they were to just take Lotor with no explanation after everything he’d done for them? How many Galra installations had he given up, how many supply depots, how many fleets had been sacrificed to the Voltron Coalition? Hadn’t Shiro been perfectly clear when he said he and Lotor were staying together?

There were alarms in the hallway now, flashing emergency lights. He could hear rhythmic boot steps approaching. It sounded like four sentries at least. He turned a corner and saw them pointing blasters at him.

“Stand down, Captain,” one of them ordered.

Shiro saw red. He didn’t answer, didn’t bother to slow. He dodged the first blaster shot and blocked the second with his glowing palm. By the time the rest of them opened fire he was close enough, ripping through them in a whirlwind of destruction.

Somewhere in the distance he could faintly feel Lotor’s Sincline ship, resonating at the same frequency as his arm now that it was activated. He felt for that delicate connection, strengthening as he focused on it. He wondered if he could- yes, he could feel the ship powering up in the Castle’s hangar, feel the engines cycling up, the weapons. He knew what he had to do now. He’d get to the ship, use the sensors to find Lotor and get him back from wherever the Paladins had taken him.

Moving with purpose now he mowed down the sentries that kept trying to get in his way without a second thought, tossing them around like they weighed nothing. He was nearly halfway to the ship when he finally noticed the frantic beeping coming from his gauntlet and looked down to see Lotor’s comm signature. He frowned a little. Was this some sort of trick? He could hear more sentries approaching but decided to take a chance and paused, hitting the flashing panel on his gauntlet.

“Shiro, you have to stop,” Lotor said, voice calm and measured.

The sound of it was like a cool balm over the heat of his fury and Shiro closed his eyes, sagging against the wall with relief. Lotor was alive at least.

“Yeah, man-” that was Matt’s voice, “you’re kind of freaking everybody out.”

“ _Good_ ,” Shiro said. “Where’s Lotor?”

“I’m in the medbay- I’m fine.”

Shiro doubted that. He looked up to see he’d been surrounded by nearly twenty sentries while he’d been distracted. They had their blasters aimed at him but he couldn’t bring himself to care. “You,” he said, pointing at one at random. “Take me to the medbay.”

It didn’t respond, staring at him dumbly with its weapon still raised. Shiro scowled, his arm crackling ominously in the silence.

“I’m not going to ask again.”

The sentry didn’t move for a long tense moment, but then it tilted its head to the side like it was receiving orders and finally lowered its weapon. Shiro followed it back the way he’d come, stepping over the debris of the sentries he’d ripped apart. Now that he was thinking more clearly he found himself a little shocked at the destruction he’d caused. The anger was still churning under the surface but now it was overtaken by worry. He worried about Lotor, worried this was some sort of trap.

The sentry took him to a set of doors that opened up to Lotor sitting shirtless on an examination table. His right arm was in a sling, his torso and left arm peppered with cuts and bruises. There was a smudge of dirt on his cheek and his hair hung lank down his back. There were other people in the room but Shiro only had eyes for Lotor and found himself standing in front of him without quite knowing how he got there.

“What the hell happened?” he asked, raising his hands to Lotor’s face. He flinched away and Shiro realized his Sincline arm was still glowing, crackling with lightning running over the surface. He jerked back and it abruptly went dark, leaving the smell of ozone and burnt metal in the air. The connection to the ship vanished and Shiro was struck by how small the world suddenly seemed around him.

“Zarkon offered us a prisoner trade and we took it,” Princess Allura said. She was standing by the door with Coran- Shiro must have walked right past them moments ago but now was the first time he was seeing her.

“ _What_?” he asked, anger rising again. His heart was pounding so hard it was practically all he could feel. “Who-?” he looked around the room, past Keith, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, past Matt and Katie standing awkwardly in the corner, past Hunk and Lance beside them. It finally registered that there was a second examination table in the room, and sitting on top of it was-

“ _Kolivan_ ,” Shiro spit out. He turned back to Allura, shaking. “You were willing to sell Lotor’s life in return for this- this lying, underhanded _asshole_ -”

“Like you’re so innocent, _Champion_ ,” Kolivan growled. “You personally killed five of my pilots while your friends took out two dozen more-”

“You double crossed us!” Shiro yelled. “You shot first, you put _civilians_ in danger-”

“You allied yourself with the slimiest fuck in the entire universe!” Kolivan yelled back, standing with a wince.

Shiro clenched his hand into a fist, his arm activating once again. “I wish I’d killed you back in that cave,” he said.

“Same here,” Kolivan said before looking down at Lotor. “Keep your dog on a tighter leash.” 

“That’s the last time you call me a dog-” Shiro gritted out, turning on him.

“Ok!” Hunk broke in, holding his hands up placatingly. “Clearly there’s some history here. Clearly… uhh… things are going- not so great. But maybe we can cool it down a little?” 

“Yeah, I know just how to cool it down,” Shiro said, looking back at Lotor. “We’re leaving.”

“No. Shiro-”

“I wasn’t _asking_ you,” Shiro spit out. “You just- you just went with them! But you knew, didn’t you? What they were doing?” 

Lotor shut his eyes, frowning. “Shiro, please. I can’t- I can’t do this right now.”

“He killed Zarkon,” Keith said, looking up at last.

“What?” Shiro asked, not sure he’d heard correctly. “How?”

Keith pushed himself off the wall, unfolding to his full height. “I gave him my bayard,” he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Out of the corner of his eye Shiro saw Allura frown. So it had just been Keith then, acting on his own. “He fought Zarkon, and now Zarkon’s dead.”

Shiro looked down, tried to decipher the expression on Lotor’s face and couldn’t. His anger was gone completely now, replaced by worry and an impossible sense of fondness. He saw a folded blanket on the table, shook it out and draped it gently over Lotor’s shoulders, hiding him away from the inquisitive eyes of everyone in the room. 

“I think maybe we should all get some rest,” he said.

“Great idea!” Lance said, a little too loudly. 

“Yeah,” Keith said. “I’ll show you to your room.” 

“Thanks,” Shiro said with a tight smile. “Can you walk?” he asked Lotor quietly.

“I’m fine,” Lotor said, pitching his voice low for Shiro’s ears only. He stood, holding the blanket closed over his shoulders. He wavered a little and Shiro steadied him with a hand to his lower back.

“This way,” Keith said, jerking his head towards the door.

Shiro didn’t bother saying anything else, didn’t spare another look for Kolivan or any of the others. He took deep breaths as he followed Keith through the hall, keeping his left hand pressed to Lotor’s back to reassure himself Lotor was fine, was really here. 

“Thank you, Keith,” he said when they paused in front of a door.

“Yeah, well.” Keith shrugged a little. “I was pretty mad at you at first. But then I remembered who you were, and I-” he rubbed at the back of his neck. “Anyway, I figured if you trusted him, there had to be a reason.”

“I’d be dead if it weren’t for you,” Lotor said solemnly, holding out his hand. “I won’t forget this.”

“Don’t make me look like an asshole and we’ll be fine,” Keith said, taking Lotor’s hand. “Shiro-” Keith looked up at him at last. “I’m glad you’re back.”

Shiro surged forward, wrapping Keith up in his arms. “Keith,” he said into the boy’s hair, “ _thank you_.” There were so many other things he wanted to say, needed to say, but there were no words that could ever be enough. He felt Keith’s arms wrap around his back and let himself stand there for a long minute, hoping Keith understood.

“Get some rest,” Keith said, drawing back at last.

“Yeah,” Shiro said, voice raw.

“Try not to destroy anything else,” Keith said with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

“Yeah,” Shiro laughed. Keith turned and left, giving Shiro and Lotor privacy for the first time since they’d come to the castle ship.

Shiro was shaking as he opened the door and ushered Lotor inside. The door closed with a soft hiss and Shiro couldn’t stop himself, turned on Lotor and pressed him back against the metal with a forceful kiss. 

“Don’t do that to me again,” he whispered against Lotor’s lips. “Don’t leave me like that.”

He dove back in, swallowing whatever answer Lotor had for him. He was sure Lotor could explain himself, make his position perfectly logical and clear, but Shiro didn’t care. He wanted an assurance he knew Lotor would never give and he’d rather have nothing than a neat deflection.

Lotor shuddered and moaned into his mouth, raising his left hand to grip at Shiro’s hair while his other arm was still trapped between them in the sling. Shiro pushed closer as carefully as he could, pressing his thigh between Lotor’s legs and closing his eyes as he felt Lotor push back against him helplessly. 

“God, it was torture being in that cell without being able to touch you,” Shiro whispered into Lotor’s ear before biting at his earlobe. The Galra prince whimpered and Shiro pressed closer, shoving his thigh harder against Lotor’s cock as he bit at his neck, sucking a bruise into the delicate skin there as he was overtaken by the desire to leave a mark, to stake a claim. 

“Shiro-” Lotor gasped out, an expression almost like pain over his face. He’d lost his grip on the blanket and now it was hanging down just barely off one of his shoulders, leaving his torso exposed. Shiro ran his left hand down Lotor’s trembling body, dipping his fingers below Lotor’s waistband.

He took Lotor’s mouth in one final vicious kiss before he dropped to his knees to fumble desperately at the fastenings of Lotor’s trousers.

“Shiro,” Lotor moaned, melting against the door as Shiro finally got his cock in his mouth. He tasted of smoke and sweat and blood but Shiro didn’t care, all he wanted was to be closer. He started a mercilessly fast rhythm, gripping Lotor tightly by the hips to press him against the door. “Shiro!” Lotor cried out, bending at the waist to brace himself on Shiro’s shoulder with his good arm. “I can’t- I can’t-” he gasped. “Ah!”

Shiro felt the exact moment Lotor’s knees gave out. He was already holding him and took his weight easily enough, altering his grip a little to keep Lotor more comfortably pressed to the door. Shiro was painfully hard but he could barely spare a thought for his own pleasure while Lotor was crying out so desperately above him.

If his mouth was free to speak he’d be goading Lotor on, whispering filth in his ear until the Galra prince could take no more. If his hands weren’t occupied he’d be running them along Lotor’s body until he felt surrounded, cherished, completely overwhelmed. But all Shiro could do was hold him in place, vulnerable to Shiro’s desire while he swallowed him down greedily.

“Shiro!” Lotor cried out, fingers gripping his shoulder tightly enough to bruise. Shiro could feel him shaking, could tell he was close. “Ah- Shiro, I- I-” 

Shiro kept up his pace while Lotor spilled into his mouth, kept going past the point of pleasure until Lotor was whimpering with overstimulation, pushing at him ineffectually. Finally he pulled his mouth off Lotor’s softening cock to breathe loudly against his hip.

He stood, careful to slide up Lotor’s body and under his left arm, taking his weight. He hoisted the Galra prince up easily, carrying him over to the bed to drop him onto the sheets before he let himself fold over him and thrust his hand into his pants to stroke desperately for a minute before he reached his own release with his face buried in Lotor’s neck.

They lay there for a long moment, both catching their breath, before Shiro pulled away to wrestle out of his clothes and help strip Lotor of his boots and pants. 

“Alright?” Shiro mumbled as he pulled a blanket over them. 

“Yes,” Lotor breathed out. He threw his hand over his eyes as he let his body relax and sink into the mattress. Shiro tugged him closer and brushed Lotor’s hair back from his neck to press a soft kiss there.

He wanted to say something but he didn’t know what. He wanted to express some regret over what Lotor had been forced to do, over killing his father, but he had no words, didn’t even quite know what his feelings were. He wasn’t upset Zarkon was dead, wasn’t sure if Lotor was either. 

“Tell me the truth,” he said gently.

Lotor shivered in his arms and Shiro pulled him closer.

“I’m not alright,” Lotor said quietly. “But I will be.”

Shiro closed his eyes and pressed his face into Lotor’s hair. He still reeked of blood and smoke, but he was here, and safe. Tomorrow would be a new day, tomorrow they’d have to figure out what to do next, find a way forward. But for now he could let himself enjoy Lotor’s heat against him.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Next Up: Part X: Kral Zera**
> 
> “I wish he’d stop showing off and just get it over with,” Acxa muttered, her hands tense where she was gripping the back of Shiro’s seat.
> 
> He was starting to worry that Lotor wasn’t purposefully drawing the battle out. He seemed to be struggling now, flagging a little as Sendak moved with impossible stamina for a man of his size.


	10. Part X: Kral Zera

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I wish he’d stop showing off and just get it over with,” Acxa muttered, her hands tense where she was gripping the back of Shiro’s seat.
> 
> He was starting to worry that Lotor wasn’t purposefully drawing the battle out. He seemed to be struggling now, flagging a little as Sendak moved with impossible stamina for a man of his size.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my beta [Lutz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lutz/pseuds/lutz) you're the best!
> 
> Only one more update left after this one ;_;

 

* * *

 

 

“It’s out of the question,” Allura said once Lotor had finished explaining the Kral Zera and the players involved. Her reaction wasn’t exactly a surprise but Shiro still found himself disappointed.

“I don’t know,” Katie spoke up. “Is it really such a bad idea? I mean, obviously Lotor is the best option for Emperor.”

“That’s not the part I’m concerned about,” Allura said. “By the sound of it, all the most fearsome Galra Commanders and warriors in the entire universe will be gathering at Feyiv. How many of them desire to take control of Voltron? And you’d expect me to just bring it to them, when they’re at their strongest?”

“I’ll admit there’s some risk,” Lotor said carefully, “but the Kral Zera demands a strict code of conduct, and between Voltron and my own forces-” 

“What forces?” Allura asked. “I don’t mean to be unkind but you have one ship, Prince Lotor, and you’re asking that I put everything I have at risk to put you on the Galra throne.”

Lotor flushed. “Perhaps the Blades would be willing to-”

“The Blade of Marmora will have no part in installing another tyrant,” Kolivan interrupted. Shiro found himself a little relieved at the words- he didn’t want the man at his back, even if it was as a supposed ally. Just being in the same room with him made Shiro’s skin crawl. He couldn’t help remembering the overwhelming stink of blood and sweat in the darkness of that faraway cave, Lotor’s pained gasps as he nearly bled out in his arms.

“Ouch, that’s a little harsh,” Hunk muttered, drawing Shiro out of his thoughts. 

“Maybe it’s worth the risk,” Keith said. Shiro hoped he was talking to Allura and not Kolivan, glowering at all of them from his corner.

“Prince Lotor,” Allura said carefully, “I certainly appreciate everything you’ve done and sacrificed for us, as do we all. But this is too great a risk. I’m afraid my decision is final.”

“I see,” Lotor said slowly. He inclined his head in acceptance. “I understand.”

It had been a long shot anyway but Shiro still found himself annoyed. There was only one way for the ten thousand year war to end peacefully, and that was with Lotor as Emperor. He’d thought they’d all be able to see that.

“And I hope you understand I intend to go with or without your support.”

Allura smiled a little at that. “I won’t attempt to stop you or Captain Shiro. It seems I couldn’t even if I wanted to.” She said the last with a narrow-eyed glance at Shiro, something between distrust and grudging admiration.

Lotor nodded. “Then we’d better go sooner rather than later,” he said, looking at Shiro. “We’ve already wasted half a quintant, we can’t afford to waste any more time.”

Shiro nodded, glad that at least this time Lotor wasn’t trying to leave him behind. No one bothered asking if he was sure, although Keith seemed a little worried to see him go. Kolivan looked like he was about to say something but then he clenched his hands into fists and looked away instead.

“Be careful,” Keith said.

“Always,” Shiro said with a tight smile before he followed Lotor to the ship.

Lotor seemed quieter than usual, a little withdrawn.

“Are you alright?” Shiro asked.

“I’m- a little nervous, perhaps,” Lotor said carefully, frowning as though he found the act of sharing his feelings unpleasant.

Shiro laughed and squeezed his shoulder. “You’d be crazy not to be nervous. But we’ll be fine. How hard can it be, you’re just lighting a flame, right?”

“It may be a touch more involved than that, but that’s the basic gist, yes.”

“I’m driving,” Shiro said as they finally reached Lotor’s Sincline ship. He activated his arm and powered up the ship remotely, just for the thrill of it. He could feel it, feel the vibrations of the engines thrumming through his bones.

“Careful,” Lotor said, looking consideringly at Shiro’s arm glowing at his side. “Obviously this was an unintended side effect and we don’t know if there may be others. In any event, channeling too much quintessence can be dangerous.”

“I don’t know,” Shiro said, flexing his hand. “I feel fine. Great, even.”

“That’s the danger,” Lotor murmured, and at his tone Shiro let the arm grow dark. He could still feel the ship though, now that he was so close. Maybe it was best not to mention it.

“I’ll be careful,” he said with a tight smile.

They were silent as they climbed into the cockpit and Shiro set a course for Feyiv. Even without Teleduv technology the Sincline ship was fast, faster than anything Shiro had piloted before. It was a matter of hours before the planet came into view.

Shiro couldn’t help breaking out into a cold sweat at the sheer number of Galra cruisers in orbit, the smaller craft, the fighters running flight maneuvers in tight formations around their fleets. All were held in a tremulous peace, the different factions clear by the way the fleets stood apart from each other and where they pointed their now powered-down main cannons.

Lotor must have sensed his anxiety because he put his hand on Shiro’s shoulder. “Easy,” he said quietly. “They won’t attack. They’re all still hopeful their own Commanders will take the throne- they won’t risk starting a civil war, not yet.”

A few cruisers turned to put the Sincline ship in their sights as they approached but none interfered with their descent into the atmosphere and Shiro released a deep sigh of relief. It wasn’t long before he could just make out the basin of purple flame at the base of the Kral Zera. As they got closer he saw the ceremony already in full swing and a duel taking place on the steps below.

“Sendak,” Lotor muttered, eyes narrowed. “I’d hoped he was dead.”

Shiro had too, but he was distracted by a faint crackling in his comms that meant they’d come into range of someone on the same frequency, and that could only mean-

“Acxa and Narti are here,” he said, pointing to where they were crouched over the body of a fallen Commander, unmistakable in their armored space suits, marked by orange and blue.

“You’re late,” Acxa said, but she sounded impossibly relieved.

“Good to see you too,” Lotor said. “Where are Ezor and Zethrid?”

Shiro could just make out the small shake of Narti’s head in the distance.

“We’ve had no contact with them since we split up,” Acxa said.

“Alright. See if you can slip away and board the Sincline ship. If anyone other than me lights that flame we’ll need to leave, quickly.”

“Understood.”

“Prepare for landing,” Shiro said as he took the ship down. “Maybe I should go with you,” he said as he looked up at Lotor, worried. “As backup.”

“With all due respect, Shiro, that would be- unseemly. I must do this alone or else any possible success will be called into question,” Lotor said before giving him a tight grin.

“Kiss me, then,” Shiro demanded, pulling off his helmet. “For luck.”

“I don’t need luck,” Lotor said lightly but he moved to press a firm kiss to his lips all the same, and then he was off.

Shiro opened the hangar door for him and could practically feel Lotor stepping down the ramp and pausing.

“Halt! Your true Emperor has arrived,” Lotor announced dramatically to the gathered Galra as he left the ship. There was a moment of silence, then shocked whispering broke out amongst the Commanders and their warriors.

“You? Lead the Galra Empire?” Shiro heard Sendak say and had to grit his teeth at the anger he felt at hearing the Galra’s familiar voice. “What could possibly make you think that _you_ could be our Emperor?”

“My father’s blood is not just in my veins,” Lotor said, walking towards him. “It’s also on my sword. The Emperor fell to _me_ , and so will anyone who stands in my way.”

“You think treachery makes you qualified to lead us?” Sendak demanded.

It was all Shiro could do not to move, not to go down there and just- bash Sendak’s face in. But he took a deep steadying breath instead, doing his best to do what Lotor had asked of him- wait, and do nothing at all.

“Stand aside, Sendak,” Lotor said coldly, striding up to him.

“Time to prove yourself through honorable rite of combat,” Sendak grinned, raising his robotic arm before he lunged.

Shiro couldn’t tear his eyes away from the duel before him. Sendak had Lotor beat with raw power but Lotor was a seasoned warrior, agile and sure. He easily deflected and dodged the larger Galra’s attacks and went after him with unpredictable acrobatic lunges and thrusts.

Shiro didn’t look away even when he heard the door to the cockpit open as Acxa and Narti strode in. Narti laid a hand gently on his shoulder and Shiro felt a message pass through him.

_Together._

“Good to see you,” Acxa said tightly.

“Same to both of you,” Shiro smiled. It had been fantastic to see Keith and Matt and Katie and the cadets, but it was undeniable that over the past few months he’d grown to feel that Lotor’s generals were a kind of second family. It was good to see them safe, to be together again.

“I wish he’d stop showing off and just get it _over_ with,” Acxa muttered, her hands tense where she was gripping the back of Shiro’s seat.

He was starting to worry that Lotor wasn’t purposefully drawing the battle out. He seemed to be struggling now, flagging a little as Sendak moved with impossible stamina for a man of his size.

The console beeped, there was a ship incoming and it was-

“Keith?” Shiro demanded as the Red Lion hurtled into the atmosphere.

“Shiro, you have to get out of there,” Keith’s voice was tense over the comms. “The Blades- they’ve sabotaged the platform. It’s gonna blow.”

The arrival of the Red Lion had caused a commotion among the Galra and Sendak was standing tall now, shouting for everyone to hear.

“Prince Lotor has betrayed us to Voltron! Fire on the Red Lion!” he ordered while Lotor knelt some distance away, leaning hard on his sword as he fought to catch his breath.

“Lotor, we have to leave,” Shiro said desperately.

“No,” Lotor gritted out as he got to his feet.

Shiro cursed.

“He won’t leave until this is done,” Acxa said. Her voice was steady but when Shiro looked up into her face he saw panic in her eyes and for a moment he couldn’t breathe.

He scanned the field and saw three people in the distinctive uniforms of the Blades running out of a hidden door to the pyramid that housed the Kral Zera. “There-” he said, pointing. He suddenly knew what he had to do and jumped to his feet. “Acxa- take the helm, Narti you’re with me.”

They took his lead without argument, Acxa shifting to take the controls as Narti followed him out of the ship. “I saw where they came from,” Shiro managed as they sprinted for the platform. “Maybe we can still stop it.”

The air above them was pure chaos as Galra Commanders turned against one another, explosions lighting up the night sky and rocking the very ground beneath Shiro’s feet.

Acxa was in the air now, working together with Keith to draw Galra fire. It wouldn’t be enough, couldn’t be. Their ships were formidable but they couldn’t win against an entire armada. He wanted to yell for Keith to leave but he didn’t have the breath to spare. Suddenly a motley fleet of mismatched cruisers warped into the fray, another one of the Sincline ships leading them.

“Hello girls and boys!” Ezor’s voice exclaimed over their comms. “Who are we fighting?”

“Anyone that’s not us,” Acxa gasped out and Shiro heard a rumbling laugh that could only belong to Zethrid. Ezor’s Sincline ship opened fire, taking out two unsuspecting Galra cruisers in one shot. The ships with her were engaging, spreading out to take advantage of the chaos, and Shiro could just make out Zethrid yelling victoriously.

He couldn’t help huffing out a laugh, but then they were inside the pyramid, and- oh shit. There were explosives set on every column, an impossible number of them. Their red timers glared ominously out of the dark, counting down steadily.

“Do you know this tech?” he asked even as Narti rushed forward. He watched closely as she disabled the first bomb and then they were both going down the line, turning them off as fast as they could. It was a harried few minutes as the timers got closer and closer to zero.

“We have to go,” Shiro said at last, “there’s not enough time.”

But Narti was shaking her head and rushing onward. She brushed her fingers against his and he heard her-

_Lotor._

There were too many, they’d never finish in time. But Shiro’s arm was glowing, thrumming. He stared at it and, following some faint instinct, curled his fingers into a fist before thrusting it down against the ground. The arm glowed brightly as it threw out an electromagnetic pulse and the timers on the explosives sputtered and blinked before shutting down with a whine. The pulse hadn’t traveled as far as he’d hoped- he could still see the blinking numbers in the distance.

“Narti!” he yelled. “We have to go! _Now!_ ”

She looked back at him, pausing, but then she was running towards him and they were leaving, sprinting so fast Shiro thought he’d fall any moment, sure his feet wouldn’t be quick enough to catch him and finding it a shock with every step that took him forward, forward, onwards.

Kova ran ahead of them, meowing angrily as the timers hit zero. Shiro felt the detonation before he heard it, a deep rumble behind them. There was scorching heat at his back before a shuddering shockwave threw him off his feet.

He gasped, trying to protect his head with his arms, going deaf with the explosions so close behind him. He lost track of Narti, lost track of everything. Dirt and sharp shards of rock rained down around him, pinging down over his armored space suit and making him wince. All he heard was static, then ringing in his ears, and then, finally, he looked up to see the dust settling.

Narti was on the ground close by, moving slowly to sit up as Kova meowed unhappily beside her, gray with dirt and ash. The battle above seemed to have stilled. The flame at the top of the pyramid was lit, glowing a bright purple in the gloom.

“The flame is lit!” the archivist announced, his voice echoing unnaturally through the space.

Shiro gasped, wide-eyed as he searched the platform. Where was Lotor? But he couldn’t see, there was too much smoke, too much fire. He still heard static, their comms had been blown out by the explosion.

Narti got to her feet and stumbled over to pull him up. They stood, arms wrapped around each other as they watched, waiting with bated breath.

“Bow to your Emperor,” the archivist announced, raising his arms.

Shiro squinted. Was that- _Voltron_ standing behind the platform? Did that mean- ? A plume of smoke shifted and he nearly fainted with relief when he finally recognized the figure next to the bowed form of the archivist. Lotor was standing proud and tall before the flame, looking down at the gathered Galra below.

Galra ships started leaving, slipping away quietly as they denied his rule, but those that stayed knelt and Shiro stared wide-eyed as he watched his lover become an Emperor.

 

* * *

 

Shiro opened his eyes blearily, unsure what had woken him. He turned to see Lotor sliding carefully into bed beside him.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” he said quietly when he noticed Shiro watching.

“That’s alright,” Shiro said. “It’s late. How’s your work with Allura going?”

“We haven’t made much progress yet, but I think we may be on to something.”

_I miss you_ , Shiro wanted to say but swallowed it back. It was true but it seemed greedy to admit it. Lotor was busy now with an Empire’s worth of problems and he spent every spare moment with Allura going through Haggar’s office, or lair, as he liked to call it. Shiro tried to be understanding but he couldn’t help worrying when he saw the way Lotor was overworking himself, sometimes foregoing sleep entirely in pursuit of the secrets of quintessence. Was he becoming obsessed with it or had he always been this way? Was Shiro just lonely and reading too much into it all?

“That’s good to hear,” he said instead of all the things he was thinking. He turned back around and tried to find a comfortable position but it was suddenly impossible. The sheets were too cold, the pillow too soft, and where had he been keeping his Sincline arm before? No matter where he moved it now, it was either an uncomfortable weight dragging at him or a hard presence below him.

He startled a little at the feel of Lotor’s arm sliding around his waist, tugging him back against the heat of the Galra’s body.

“I fear I’ve been neglecting you,” Lotor whispered into his ear.

“I’m fine,” Shiro answered, closing his eyes. “I understand, it’s fine.”

Lotor brushed the hair back from Shiro’s neck and pressed a warm kiss behind his ear that made him shiver. “It’s not, but it can’t be helped for now. Soon, I think, this will be over and things can return to some semblance of normalcy.”

Shiro found himself smiling at that and all of a sudden he felt comfortable again. He closed his eyes, pressing up against Lotor at his back.

When they woke in the morning they made love slowly, easily, only half awake. Shiro felt better after, settled somehow.

Lotor went back to his work and Shiro found himself at a bit of a loss.

After being crowned Emperor Lotor had presented him with a new set of armor, marked by orange and blue accents and a sigil over the chest like the other generals wore. Shiro didn’t quite know what it meant, if it marked him as a General or a Commander, or what the difference was between the two. It seemed too late to ask.

He wandered through the halls, trying to figure out his place. Many of the Galra were equally unsure- they didn’t know how to see a non-Galra member of the crew, especially one in some kind of senior position. Many seemed to recognize him as the Champion, which only made things more awkward.

Keith was gone, had stubbornly left on some mission for the Blades despite everyone’s objections, and Matt was on a mission of his own with the rebels. Narti was busy helping Coran update the Castle’s star charts and Ezor and Zethrid were off running around with Katie and the cadets causing havoc throughout the command ship. They’d launched a sentry out of a cannon two days ago, nearly causing a serious military incident, and Shiro had no interest in being their designated adult.

For the first time ever Shiro found himself alone with Acxa, growing closer over their shared discomfort with the situation. They sparred to pass the time, though they had to move their sessions into the privacy of the imperial bed chambers where they had more space than in Acxa’s room. When they’d first tried sparring on the training deck they’d drawn a crowd. Shiro had been able to ignore it until he managed to take Acxa down and someone had whooped and yelled “Champion!” Shiro had reared back in shock, his arm activating in response to the anxiety jolting through him. That had been awkward for everyone and Shiro didn’t want to repeat it.

They were sparring when Lotor burst into the bedroom, beaming with excitement.

“What happened?” Shiro asked, groaning as he sat up from the ground where Acxa had thrown him with a particularly violent maneuver that involved jabbing him in the lower back with her elbow. She rolled her eyes at him but at least she didn’t call him a wuss like she clearly wanted to.

“Something amazing!” Lotor said. “Allura has discovered a map to Oriande- the origin of Altean Alchemy. We’re leaving right away- with the knowledge we gain there I think we’ll be able to find a way to harness the energy of the rift. We can finally provide the Empire with unlimited quintessence and being peace to the universe! 

Shiro and Acxa shared a nervous look. “I guess we’d better pack,” Shiro said.

“I’ll be going alone,” Lotor said firmly. “And before you protest- I’m not trying to leave either of you behind. This will be a relatively short journey and I’ll be safe enough with the Paladins. Besides, I need you to stay here and command the imperial fleet in my absence.”

It wasn’t clear which of them he’d been talking to but he was already rushing to toss clothing and a seemingly random assortment of items into a small pack.

“No need to look so upset,” Lotor said once he’d finished. It had been barely three minutes since he’d first entered the room and now he slung the pack over his shoulder, ready to leave. “This is excellent news, and I’ll be back soon.”

He smiled as he held a hand out to Acxa. She took him by the forearm and he pulled her into a warm embrace. He whispered something to her too low for Shiro to hear and she nodded a little before he let go. Turning to Shiro, he grinned and brought both hands up to grab his face before surging forward for a kiss that left Shiro breathless.

“For luck,” he said with a wink, and was gone.

“I’m not sure if I like this plan,” Acxa said at last, sounding far away.

“Same here.” Shiro wasn’t sure if she meant the trip to Oriande or the entire plan with the rift but he found himself suddenly doubting all of it. Hadn’t Lotor said channeling too much quintessence was dangerous? And yet he saw nothing wrong with his plan to mine unlimited amounts of it.

Shiro knew nothing was unlimited- for good or bad everything ended eventually. But it was too late now to protest, wasn’t it? Lotor was already gone, not to mention he was on the verge of completing a quest he’d been on for thousands of years. There was no chance he would stop now, not when he was so close. He probably knew what he was doing but for some reason Shiro found himself frowning.

“Another round?” Acxa asked, cracking her knuckles.

“Might as well,” Shiro shrugged. There wasn’t much he could do until Lotor returned anyway. “I’m ready,” he said, and Acxa lunged.

 

* * *

 

Shiro wasn’t sure what ’commanding the imperial fleet’ entailed. It wasn’t like they were in the middle of a campaign and he wasn’t about to go launch one. Mostly he waited, hanging around on the bridge while hoping nothing would happen. A few smaller ships limped in occasionally to swear allegiance to their new Emperor and mostly Acxa was the one to speak to them, accepting their oaths of fealty on Lotor’s behalf.

Lotor had been gone for a little over two days when trouble finally found them. Shiro had been almost dozing off when alarms blared out through the bridge and the nearly two dozen crew members in attendance all jumped nervously.

“What is it, Narti?” Shiro asked, trying to keep his voice even. She was frantic at her console, typing furiously to throw warnings onto the main viewscreen.

“Incoming cruisers,” Acxa said, eyes wide. “Nearly fifty of them- it’s an armada.”

“Whose?”

“I can’t tell yet,” Acxa said, “but I doubt they’ll be friendly.”

“How worried should we be? We have the imperial command ship and nearly twenty cruisers of our own. Surely we can take them?”

Narti typed in something else and a flashing warning popped up on screen in Galra symbols.

“Preliminary scans show at least ten of the cruisers are equipped with zeiforge cannons,” Acxa said, her lips drawing into a tight line.

“Raise the particle barrier and put our fleet on standby,” Shiro said and watched as the ring installations powered up and sent out a glowing purple net to encompass their ships.

“Incoming in three- two- one-”

Shiro stood with his hands clenched into fists as he watched the ships popping out of warp into the space before them, just outside the security perimeter. They appeared in clusters, five or so at a time, trailing support ships and swarms of fighters. All the ships were marked with a crude red symbol, the paint still glistening bright and fresh on their hulls.

“Incoming transmission from their lead ship,” Ezor said.

Shiro and Acxa shared a heavy look before Acxa inclined her head towards the captain’s chair and Shiro sat, heart pounding.

“On screen,” he said, already knowing in his gut who it would be.

He frowned as a familiar one-eyed face filled the screen. The Galra grinned, showing off his sharp teeth. “Sendak,” Shiro said.

“Well, if it isn’t Fugitive Prisoner 117-9875. You’ve moved up in the world, Champion.”

Shiro gritted his teeth to keep himself from flinching at the address. He wasn’t going to let Sendak rattle him, not now and not ever again.

“I see Prince Lotor is still hiding behind his slaves and half-breeds,” Sendak sneered.

“If you’re here to swear your allegiance to _Emperor_ Lotor, you’ll have to wait for his return,” Shiro said cooly. “Don’t worry, Sendak- there’s plenty of room for you and your Commanders in our brig.”  
  
Sendak laughed. “Hardly. I’m here to give you the opportunity to surrender your fleet to me and join the Fire of Purification. In return I promise not to kill you, Champion. Instead I’ll put you back where you belong- in the arena, fighting for my amusement.”

“I’m retired, so I’m afraid I’ll have to decline,” Shiro said, hands tight over the armrests of the chair.

Sendak laughed again. “I hoped you’d say as much. It will be much more enjoyable to take you against your will. Now, I don’t want the imperial flagship too damaged when I claim it, so I’ll give you- _all of you_ ,” he added, sweeping his gaze over the others on the bridge, “ten doboshes to think it over.”

The transmission went dark and Shiro closed his eyes for a moment, trying to catch his breath. This was bad. Really bad. He could already tell some of the others were wavering and he needed to shut them down before their doubt turned into outright mutiny. He stood and looked at the Galra standing tense before him.

“This armada is sworn to rightful Emperor Lotor,” he said firmly. “We will not surrender to Sendak, or anyone else.”

“Why should we listen to you?” a Galra Commander demanded, pointing a finger accusingly at him. “You’re not even Galra! You’re just a prisoner who managed to crawl his way out of the arena. The Galra follow the strong, not half-breeds like Lotor!”

Shiro didn’t stop to think as he strode over to the man, activating his Sincline arm as he went. He smashed him in the chest with the full force of his metallic fist, sending him flying backwards to hit the wall of the bridge and crumple down with a cut-off groan.

“Does anyone else have a problem with my command?” he called out, turning slowly to take in the shocked stares of everyone in the room. “Anyone have any other grievances they’d like to share? We have no time for cowards or traitors. We fight for the Emperor- we die before we yield.”

Acxa’s lips quirked up into a smile. “Victory or death!” she called out before raising her fist to her chest. “Vrepit Sa.”

“Vrepit Sa,” echoed Ezor and Zethrid, and then, slowly, so did everyone else.

“What are you orders, Commander?” Acxa asked, her eyes glittering with something like pride.

Shit, he was the Commander.

A flutter of panic ripped through him but he stamped it down ruthlessly, letting the warm pulsing power of the Sincline arm soothe his doubts before he finally allowed its glow to fade. “Ezor, Zethrid, Narti- get to the Sincline ships and be ready to launch on my mark. We’ll focus our attack on the zeiforge cannons and Sendak’s lead ship." 

“You got it, boss,” Ezor said with a grin before the three of them left at a run, headed for the hangar that housed the trans-dimensional ships.

“Acxa- do you think he’ll really wait ten doboshes before he attacks?”

“It’s doubtful,” she said, turning to the sensors.

“Alright, keep an eye on him and let me know as soon as it looks like he’s about to move.” Shiro’s mind raced as he tried to figure out what to do next. Did they really stand a chance? But it didn’t matter, there was no way in hell he was about to surrender to Sendak. If nothing else, they were going down swinging. “We wait. Let him think we’re doubting ourselves, meanwhile- we prepare a surprise attack of our own.” He looked up, scanning the faces of the Galra around him. “Who here controls the drones?”

“We do,” three Galra raised their hands.

“Prepare to launch our full compliment, on my mark.”

They nodded and turned to their consoles.

“Who’s on the ion cannons?” he asked, and four more Galra raised their hands.

“Is there a way to power them up without Sendak knowing?”

They shared an uneasy glance. “Uh,” one of them, a short woman, spoke up. “We can divert the heat signatures, and while we’re behind the particle barrier he shouldn’t be able to tell.”

“Do it,” Shiro said. “Does anyone else have any suggestions?”

That, more than anything, seemed to shock the Galra around him, and for a second Shiro worried he’d made a huge mistake. But he wasn’t familiar with this ship’s systems; he couldn’t risk losing the battle just because he hadn’t known they had some super weapon at their disposal.

“Uh, Commander?” a tall muscular Galra spoke up nervously. If Shiro was understanding his designation symbol correctly, the man was the head technician.

“Yes, what is it?”

“After- uh. After Voltron’s- uh- attack…?” he was clearly nervous as he spoke, afraid to say something out of line about their new allies.

“Spit it out, man,” Shiro snapped.

The man gulped and stood a little straighter. “After their attack- we reverse engineered the virus they used to shut down the ship- we used it to create a pulse weapon. If we deploy it, I believe we can temporarily disable a portion of Sendak’s armada.”

“Our systems won’t be affected?”

“No, sir. The pulse originates out of the rings, all those inside are safely out of range. The only problem is- with the power it takes, we won’t be able to maintain the particle barrier.”

Shiro grinned, looking back to the main viewscreen with hope now. They’d have to lower the particle barrier anyway to launch their fighters, and this way they’d be able to knock out at least some of Sendak’s counterattack.  “Excellent initiative, soldier. Get it ready. We strike first and we strike fast, with all we’ve got. On my mark.”

Silence enveloped the bridge for a long trembling minute before Shiro felt the Sincline ships powering up and knew the generals were ready to launch.

“Deploy the pulse weapon,” Shiro ordered.

“Yes, Commander,” the technician muttered. He turned back to his console and started the activation sequence. The rings at their security perimeter suddenly pulsed so brightly Shiro had to shut his eyes against it, raising his hand to shield his face. A wave of static shuddered through the ship and he worried he’d just made a huge mistake, but when he managed to blink the spots from his eyes he saw nearly all of Sendak’s ships were floating dead in space.

He grinned, this was even better than he’d been hoping for- but there was no time to celebrate.

“Now! Deploy the fighters- deploy the Sincline ships, order our cruisers to engage. Are the ion cannons ready to fire?”

“Yes-”

“Take out the zeiforge cannons first, then concentrate all our firepower on Sendak.”

There was a chorus of Galra responding enthusiastically with, “yes, Commander!” before they sprang into action.

Shiro could only watch now, awed at the destruction he’d just unleashed. Sendak’s armada was momentarily vulnerable, most of the cruisers and heavy cannon disabled. Only a few ships were able to fight and they were quickly swarmed by imperial drones that kept them busy and isolated from each other, unable to form a united fighting front.

Most of Sendak’s fighters floated directionless in space, stuck on whatever course they’d been on when their engines had been shut down by the pulse. Some crashed into each other, exploding into tiny pinpricks of light in the distance, while the rest were easy pickings for the drones.

The imperial command ship’s ion cannons fired in unison, four bright pulses boring into the cruisers equipped with zeiforge cannons. Zethrid was laughing into the comms as she blasted another cruiser apart, Ezor and Narti covering her and raining hell down on Sendak’s forces. The sky was bright with explosions and laser fire, full with glittering sharp debris.

Some of Sendak’s ships were regaining power now but it was too late, Shiro’s initial assault had destroyed nearly half of his armada and most of his advanced weaponry. They’d lost their advantage.

“Focus all you’ve got on Sendak’s ship,” Shiro ordered. It activated its particle barrier at last, deflecting the ion cannons. Shiro stared, wide-eyed as he realized it wouldn’t be enough. He wanted to finish this, wanted to see Sendak dead and gone once and for all.

“Sincline-” he ordered, “destroy him!”

The trans-dimensional ships changed course from where they’d been harrying a cruiser and turned back at his order, rushing towards the lead ship.

“They’re preparing for an interstellar jump,” Acxa said.

“They’re running,” Shiro muttered, angry to see his chance slipping away.

“Hurry, Sincline,” he said quietly, but it was no use.

The Sincline ships let out a blast of power in unison, three energy columns weaving together into a pulse of unimaginable strength, but just as it was about to hit Sendak’s ship it jumped into hyperspace and was gone. The ships that were able followed, leaving behind three cruisers and dozens of fighters too damaged to make the jump.

The Galra on the bridge cheered and Shiro found himself relaxing at last, something like a smile spreading over his face.

“Good work, everyone,” he said. “Especially you, technician- what’s your name?”

The man blushed and stammered something Shiro couldn’t make out. He’d just have to look it up later in the ship’s manifest.

“Send crews to look for survivors. If they pledge loyalty to their rightful Emperor, see to assigning them posts throughout the fleet- but keep them separated from each other so they can’t conspire against us.”

“And if they refuse?” a man piped up.

Shiro met Acxa’s eyes and knew there was only one answer. He clenched his hands into fists to keep them from shaking. “Execute them.”

“Very good, Commander Shiro,” one of the Galra said, nodding.

“Who is the most senior officer here?” Shiro asked. A surprisingly young woman raised her hand uncertainly. “Alright. You have the bridge. Call me if anything comes up.”

“Yes, Commander,” she said with a nod. “Vrepit Sa!”

The entire bridge called out “Vrepit Sa!” in unison before they broke out cheering, and that was just- weird. Shiro nodded and turned to leave, Acxa following. As soon as he was out of sight in the hallway his knees buckled and he slid down the wall, hyperventilating.

“Holy shit,” he wheezed as Acxa laughed and crouched down in front of him, putting her hands on his knees.

“Well done,” she said and winked. “Champion.”

Somehow coming from her it didn’t seem so bad and he found himself smiling.

“I could use a drink after that one, I think you could too,” she said, standing and offering him a hand up. Shiro took it and let himself be pulled to his feet. A drink sounded amazing, but-

“What if something else happens? I can’t be- _drunk_.”

Acxa rolled her eyes. “You can just take an adrenaline shot, it’ll sober you up in an instant. It’s not particularly pleasant, but if we all put our lives on hold while we wait in case something happens, we’d never have any fun.”

“Damn right!” Zethrid said over the comms.

“Party in Lotor’s room!” Ezor called out and there was a series of happy beeps as Narti voiced her agreement.

“Sure,” Shiro said with a laugh.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Up:
> 
> **Part XI: The Colony**
> 
> **Epilogue**


	11. Part XI: The Colony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my lovely beta [Lutz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lutz/pseuds/lutz)\- your support is hugely appreciated!

 

* * *

 

 

“Well, well- if it isn’t the legendary Commander Shiro,” Lotor said from the doorway.

Shiro jerked in surprise, practically dropping his datapad.

“To hear the soldiers tell it,” Lotor said, smirking as he walked into the bedroom, “you single-handedly destroyed Sendak’s entire armada while firing off witty one-liners. By some accounts you flew over there yourself and defeated him in a duel before claiming all his ships and soldiers. But I’m guessing that one’s less accurate, else I’d have a hundred more ships than I do.”

“No, that sounds about right,” Shiro grinned, standing.

Lotor crossed the room in a few long strides and pulled Shiro into a passionate kiss that left him breathless.

“I wish I could have been there to see it,” Lotor said, his eyes glittering with pride. “I heard you punched a Commander across a room.”

“He was being very rude,” Shiro said and pulled Lotor back in. They stumbled their way over to the bed where Lotor pushed him down into the sheets and practically ripped his pants off to suck him off, teasing him for what felt like ages before he finally got both of them naked and fucked Shiro nice and slow, staring down at him with something like awe in his eyes.

Afterwards, once Shiro had regained the ability to speak, he turned to Lotor and sighed, pressing his hand over his heart.

“How did it go on Oriande?” he asked.

“It went- well,” Lotor said haltingly, his gaze focused on something far away. “First we nearly died, and then it turned out only Allura and I were able to enter the ancient realm. I was- I was close, I think, to gaining the knowledge I sought, but in the end I failed in some way I still don’t quite understand.”

“Are you alright?” Shiro asked, pressing a little tighter to Lotor’s side.

Lotor was silent for a long moment but then he smiled softly. “Yes,” he said. “I’d never imagined I’d be able to step foot on Oriande, even just- seeing it with my own eyes was more than I’d hoped for, an honor I’d never thought I could possibly have bestowed upon me.”

Shiro grinned and pressed a kiss to Lotor’s shoulder.

“Princess Allura was able to gain the ancient knowledge, thankfully. We begin work on the ships again in the morning.”

Shiro felt his heart sinking and couldn’t find a way to stop it. He was even more sure now that harnessing the power of the rift was the wrong thing to do, but how could he say so in the face of Lotor’s happiness? He was so close to achieving everything he’d ever dreamed of and Shiro couldn’t bear to stand in his way, couldn’t risk damaging what was between them.

“But we have all night before then,” Lotor said, not noticing his suddenly morose mood. “I don’t want to waste it.” He turned to Shiro, pressing him back into the sheets, and Shiro found his mood improving once again.

“I must be moving up in the world, to get so much personal attention from the Emperor himself,” he laughed.

“Anything for my top Commander,” Lotor answered and leaned in for a kiss.

 

* * *

 

Shiro worried about how much of himself Lotor was throwing into working on the ships. He spent countless sleepless nights obsessing over them, sometimes left in the middle of briefings to go check on progress. Shiro worried but he felt gagged by his own desire to see Lotor happy, to see him succeed.

He stayed silent and tried to distract himself with something- _anything_ else _-_ but couldn’t with the way his arm was constantly thrumming now, vibrating in concert with whatever changes they were making to the Sincline ships. When he finally mentioned it Allura’s eyes lit up and she took his arm in her hands, muttering “interesting!” before she did something that made the arm glow and Shiro faint.

Lotor must have caught him before he hit the ground because Shiro woke cradled in his arms with his concerned purple eyes boring into him. Allura apologized profusely while Lotor helped Shiro up and led him away to their bedroom. That was the only time he willingly halted work on the ships, and it was over within a few short hours once he’d made sure Shiro was alright.

Whatever she’d done, Shiro found himself more in control of the arm after that, could shut the sensations back from his mind as he took command shifts on the bridge and food breaks alone or with the generals.

Over two weeks passed until Lotor burst into their rooms, beaming triumphantly.

“We’re ready to test it,” he said while Shiro did his best to smile. “We’re heading to Daibazaal tomorrow to try and enter the rift.”

“I’ll come with you,” Shiro said, something like sadness tugging at him. He felt like something was ending but the feeling was vague, too vague to understand, much less voice. “I want to be there to see you succeed.”

Lotor smiled. “I’ll be glad to have you there,” he said, and Shiro was relieved he wasn’t arguing.

In the morning they took the lead Sincline ship and docked it in the Castle of Lion’s bay before warping to the long-dead Galra homeworld.

“Good luck,” Shiro said quietly, pulling Lotor in for a tight embrace.

“Thank you,” Lotor whispered, and when he drew back he was smiling.

Shiro felt that odd sense of sadness again as he watched Lotor and Allura entering the rift, and then there was nothing left to do but wait.

The tense calm on the bridge was suddenly broken by an alarm and he was just as surprised as the others to hear Keith’s voice from the ancient Altean ship. They let them dock, of course they did, but Shiro was lightheaded as he watched Keith step out of the shuttle, two years older, with a Blade of Marmora agent that was apparently his mother and a blond Altean who seemed nervous and twitchy as she glanced restlessly around the castle.

As they told the story of Lotor’s colony Shiro couldn’t help but feel faint, more and more nauseous with every word. There was a ringing in his ears, slowly growing louder.

_To keep the Alteans secure, he hid them on a remote planet beyond the quantum abyss-_

_One by one, every Altean on the colony was given a series of tests-_

_It was all a lie-_  

_A lie-_  

Shiro closed his eyes, shuddering.

“He’s a monster,” Keith said, and it was a struggle not to say what he was thinking, not to lash out and yell that it couldn’t be true. Shiro wasn’t an idiot, he wasn’t completely blinded by his feelings for Lotor. It _could_ be true, maybe it was. But surely there was more to the story than they’d heard? Surely Lotor could explain himself. But could an explanation ever make up for sacrificing thousands of innocent lives?

“They’re back,” Coran said tightly.

Silence fell over the bridge and Shiro was suddenly overtaken by a sick feeling in his gut, gnawing at him. He pressed his hand to his stomach, trying to quell the ache but it was no use.

They watched the security feed as Lotor helped Allura down from the ship. They both seemed so happy, practically giddy with what had clearly been a huge success. Shiro felt faint as he watched them walk across the hangar bay and enter the lift.

The others were tense, holding their weapons close and ready. Oh god.

Soon- much too soon- the doors to the bridge were opening and Lotor and Allura were walking in side by side, still laughing at some joke only the two of them knew. They both tensed as they took in the atmosphere of the room but Shiro only had eyes for Lotor. He saw the exact moment Lotor noticed Romelle, saw the way his eyes widened and knew then that it was all true.

“What’s going on?” Allura asked uncertainly.

Time seemed to slow. Shiro realized suddenly that there was no way forward here- no way out of this. They’d kill Lotor for what he’d done. This was the end of the line.

The doors to the bridge started shutting with a soft hiss, still moving so slowly. Everything went silent as memories rushed through him, Lotor saying-

_“Are you quite certain you’ve thought this through?”_

_“Is it really so hard to believe that I’m not some kind of monster?”_

_“Shiro-”_

_“Did you miss me?”_

_“The things I’ve done- to you, to everyone. I-”_

He was going to be sick, he was going to pass out. He should have known- should have known-

_“Soon, I think, this will be over and things can return to some semblance of normalcy.”_

_“Shiro-”_

His mind was thrumming with pain, he was dizzy with conflicting thoughts, but finally a single word cut through the haze-

_No._

He moved faster than he’d ever moved before, lunging to shove Lotor out of the bridge before the doors shut behind the two of them. Shiro sank the glowing fingers of his right hand into the metal around the seam, twisting viciously to seal it before he pushed all his energy into an electromagnetic pulse. He could feel the Sincline ship acting in concert down in the hangar, letting out a stronger version of the pulse just as he did. There was a sound like a bell ringing as the pulses traveled through the Altean castle, enveloping it entirely within an instant, and the ship shut down around them with a sputtering whine.

“Shiro-” Lotor gasped, shocked.

“ _Run_ ,” Shiro bit out and turned down the corridor. He ripped open the doors to the lift, ripped up its floor, and threw himself into the darkness, just aware enough to know Lotor was following. He activated his calf thrusters just before he hit the ground and still the impact traveled hard through his feet and into his knees, making him shudder, but then he was running again, Lotor close on his heels.

They made it to the Sincline ship, already hot and ready for them, and blew through the hangar doors of the dead castle before flying outwards, heading home.

“Shiro-” Lotor said cautiously.

“ _Stop_ ,” Shiro bit out. “Just- stop.”

Lotor didn’t try to say anything else, and within a few too-short hours they were docking in the imperial command ship.

“How did it go?” Acxa greeted them with a grin before she took in their expressions and paused, the smile sliding off her face. “What happened?”

“I’m handling it,” Shiro said. “We need to move the armada, _now_.”

She didn’t argue, she knew this was deathly serious just by looking at them. “Where?”

“Anywhere Voltron can’t find us. If they show up- retreat, don’t engage.”

Acxa nodded and left, and it was just the two of them again.

“Come on,” Shiro said, taking Lotor a little too firmly by the upper arm. He was- angry wasn’t the right word for it. There was no word for the way he was feeling.

Lotor followed silently until they were in the imperial quarters and Shiro pushed him roughly away. He stumbled a little but caught himself just before he fell. He didn’t turn to meet Shiro’s gaze.

“Is it true?” Shiro asked coldly.

Lotor was silent for a long time, and then his shoulders slumped. “Yes,” he said quietly.

Shiro sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “How could you?” he asked, his voice coming out pained and small, almost afraid.

When Lotor turned his eyes were flashing with anger. “How _dare_ you?” he demanded. “How dare you question my methods? How dare _they_? I’ve been fighting this war for _ten thousand years_ \- alone! And they show up for five ticks and dare to look down on me! They haven’t seen what I’ve seen, haven’t faced anything close to- they haven’t had to do a _fraction_ of the things I’ve been forced to do!”

He huffed out a laugh that seemed impossibly pained and then spread his arms wide, grinning wildly. “If I’d had an- an all-powerful _robot_ maybe I could have done things differently! But I had nothing! _Nothing_!” he yelled, and Shiro flinched.

“I had _nothing_ after I was exiled save for the clothes on my back! I had to sell myself for scraps- compromise myself in ways I’d never-” he broke off, taking a deep shuddering breath and turning away.

“I could have drank myself to death in some ditch, and maybe I should have, but I _fought-_ I fought as hard as I could. By the time I’d scraped together enough power I was raw and bleeding to the bone, and still- _still_! I tried my damndest to save as many Alteans as I could, I hid them from my father’s rage-”

Lotor broke off to draw his hands restlessly through his hair. Shiro was shaking as he listened to his tirade, hands drawn into fists at his sides and still unsure how to name the emotions raging through him.

“Do you think I _wanted_ this?” Lotor demanded, turning at last, his entire countenance expressing a pain so deep that Shiro couldn’t comprehend even the surface of it. “Do you think I wanted to become a- a _monster_?”

Lotor looked down, smiling wryly. “When Haggar and her druids created the Komar, I- they were draining entire planets. _Millions_ dead- in seconds. And in the face of that, I- I- I did what I had to.” He swallowed hard, his eyes wide. “I thought the Altean quintessence could open the rift, I thought maybe their alchemy-” he swallowed again, breaking off.

“It wasn’t right. I know it wasn’t. I hate myself for it. You can- you _should_. You should hate me too. But what was I supposed to do?” He looked up and Shiro almost flinched from his gaze. “What was I supposed to do?” Lotor asked again, his voice small and broken.

“Fuck,” Shiro said and dropped into a nearby lounge chair, suddenly feeling completely drained. He couldn’t draw a full breath, the walls of the room were closing in on him.

He dropped his face into his hands and tried to calm himself down. “ _Fuck_ ,” he breathed out before looking up at Lotor at last, still staring down wide-eyed at him, trembling like he was afraid of what Shiro was going to do next.

“I don’t know,” Shiro said. “I don’t know what you should have done. This is so much bigger than anything I’ve-” he broke off, licking his lips nervously. “I don’t hate you.”

Lotor seemed shocked at that. He took a step forward and stumbled, dropping to his knees before Shiro helplessly. He was shaking as he crumbled down to press his face against Shiro’s thigh.

“Shiro-” he breathed out, and Shiro dropped his hand into Lotor’s hair, pulling him in closer.

“Tell me,” he said quietly, stroking Lotor’s hair gently. “Tell me at least- you’ve stopped.”

Lotor shivered and let out sound like a sob. “Of course I did,” he said at last. “It didn’t work. I- I stopped centuries ago.”

“How is that possible? Keith said they found-”

“Shiro,” Lotor said, looking up with tears in his eyes. “The quantum abyss, it’s- It distorts space-time. It’s unpredictable. Shipments of quintessence were- lost in time. Only to appear later, or not at all. I- I-” he stopped, frowning.

“You have to understand,” he said at last. “Knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t have done it at all. Not because it was wrong, but because- because,” he shuddered and broke off, struggling with his words. “Because it didn’t _work_ ,” he managed at last. “You need to know who I am. I am- I was-” he seemed to collapse in on himself. “If it had worked, I would have sacrificed more of them. As many as it took. I- I _am_ a monster,” Lotor breathed out. “I’m- it’s all true. I’m sorry.”

Shiro bent down over him, enveloping Lotor in his arms as much as he could.

“No,” Shiro said firmly. “No, you’re not a monster. You did what you thought you had to. I can’t offer you forgiveness, that’s not for me to give you. But I don’t hate you. You were doing the best you could, and- I’m sorry. That you felt you had to do it at all.”

“Shiro,” Lotor breathed out.

“Hey,” Shiro said. “Hey-”

He took Lotor by the shoulders and stood, taking the man with him. “Come here,” he said before pulling Lotor in for a kiss, the only way he could think of to comfort him, both of them

Lotor leaned in, melting against him as though Shiro was the only source of warmth in the entire universe. “Shiro- _Shiro…_ ”

“Hey, come on, it’s ok,” Shiro murmured, pulling Lotor closer. “It’s ok, it’s gonna be-”

“I need-”

“Yeah,” Shiro breathed out. “Yeah, ok. Come on-”

He pulled Lotor over to the bed, trying to quell his shaking by enveloping Lotor with his own body.

“It’s going to be ok,” he whispered as he pressed Lotor into the sheets and kissed him desperately until he was gasping, short of breath from something other than despair now.

“Here,” he said, struggling to wrestle Lotor’s armor off. “Help me.”

They paused to get their clothes off, the process taking twice as long as usual with the way they were both trembling, and then Shiro was pressing forward to cover Lotor with his own body.

“Shh,” he whispered against Lotor’s ear. “You’re ok, we’re ok-”

“Shiro-” Lotor gasped out, arching against him.

“Yeah,” Shiro murmured, shoving Lotor’s thighs apart to settle between, letting the heat of Lotor’s body take him over. “Yeah,” he said, “Come on.”

Lotor moaned as Shiro bit as his neck, his fingers painfully tight over Shiro’s shoulders.

“Please,” he gasped, “Please-”

“Yeah, tell me- tell me what you need, what you want- Let me-”

“Shiro, please-” Lotor gasped, his eyes shut as he begged. “I want you- I want you to fuck me-”

“Are you sure?” Shiro asked, drawing back. “You’ve never-”

“ _Shiro_ -”

“Ok,” Shiro gasped. “Ok.” He looked around wildly, running his hands over Lotor’s naked chest and down his thighs. “I think we’ll need something-”

“Here,” Lotor breathed out before breaking off to look through a nightstand and pulling out a small bottle of oil.

“Ok,” Shiro said, fumbling to pull it open. “Ok.” Lotor shifted over to his side, turning his face away. Once Shiro slicked his fingers he moved in closer, pressing himself to Lotor’s back.

“Ready?” he asked against Lotor’s ear.

“Yes,” Lotor said, but his voice sounded oddly strangled.

Shiro slid his first finger inside and Lotor jerked before slowly relaxing against him, breathing hard

“How’s that?” Shiro asked, moving slowly, gently inside him. His body was so hot, tight around him. He was dizzy all over again, aching for closeness, for some kind of reassurance that they could make it through this.

“Yeah,” Lotor said, but there was something odd in his voice, something almost reluctant.

Shiro frowned but he had no frame of reference, had no idea how Lotor liked it, how this was supposed to go. He kept going for a little while but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Lotor was shaking and making small sounds that almost sounded like he was in pain. Shiro stilled to press a kiss to the back of Lotor’s neck.

“Hey,” he said quietly. “I want to- how can I make this good for you? Help me.”

“I-” Lotor shivered and clenched his hands into fists, gripping the sheets tight. Shiro wished he could see his face, if he could just see his eyes- he’d _know_. “I- use your other hand.”

Shiro pulled back, disturbed by the request. He felt as though Lotor had just asked him to fuck him with the barrel of a loaded gun.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said carefully, trying not to let on how unsettled he felt.

“I want you to,” Lotor whispered and Shiro’s blood ran cold.

He pulled away and yanked Lotor over to his back so he could see him. Lotor was flushed with something like arousal, but everything else about him seemed cold and distant.

Shiro frowned. He ran his Sincline hand lightly down Lotor’s chest and watched him shiver with something that was closer to fear than desire.

“No,” he said at last and watched Lotor’s eyes widen with shock. “No,” he repeated gently. “Maybe pain is something you’re used to, something you know how to deal with, but it’s not what you want- not really. It’s not what you need.”

Lotor sneered, flushing with anger and embarrassment at being denied. “Who are you to tell me what I want- what I _need_?” he spit out.

And that was- better. Anger was better than wherever he’d been lost before.

“I’m not here to punish you,” Shiro said, leaning closer. “I love you.”

He sank his finger back inside Lotor’s body and he gasped, arching closer to his touch or to his words, Shiro couldn’t be sure. He pumped in and out steadily, carefully, and yes- that was it. That was better. 

“Easy,” Shiro whispered. “Relax for me, let me in.”

Lotor moaned, shutting his eyes as he let his thighs fall open wider. Shiro added a second finger and Lotor gasped, cock hard and leaking against his stomach. They were back in something like charted territory now, moving away from whatever frightening thing had been happening before.

“Look at me,” Shiro said. “Stay with me.”

Lotor opened his eyes, his gaze so sharp now that Shiro nearly flinched, wanting to look away. But he couldn’t, not after everything they’d been through. They were in this together now, until the end.

“That’s it,” he said, pumping his fingers in and out slowly, working him open. He seemed fragile in a way he never had before and Shiro moved carefully. The last thing he wanted was to hurt him.

“Shiro-” Lotor gasped out.

“That’s right,” Shiro murmured and leaned down to take his mouth if only to get a respite from his gaze. Lotor wrapped his arms around Shiro’s shoulders, holding on for dear life. “Are you ready for me? Do you want this?”

“Yes.”

Shiro pulled back and drank in the sight of Lotor hot and ready below him as he lined himself up, nearly had to shut his eyes as he pressed inside. Lotor moaned, throwing his head back, and Shiro bent down over him to press his face against Lotor’s neck as he worked into him, gasping at the tight heat of Lotor’s body.

“Come on, just- let me in.”

Lotor made a sound like a whine and then he was angling his hips up and Shiro was sliding in easily, all the way.

“Yeah,” he breathed out. “Yeah, just like that-”

“Shiro-”

“ _Fuck_ ,” Shiro managed as he started moving, Lotor hot and insistent against him now, pushing back against him eagerly. “That’s it, that’s it-” Shiro found himself saying. He braced his metal arm against the bed and reached down to stroke Lotor’s cock, flushing at the way Lotor arched against him, practically keening with pleasure.

“That’s it, darling, just like that,” Shiro was muttering against the damp skin of Lotor’s neck, fighting to keep his motions steady, even. He was losing it though, losing his mind inside Lotor’s body, at the way Lotor moaned and gasped beneath him.

“That’s it, you’re so close now,” he whispered. “Give it up for me, come on. You’re just there- come for me-”

“Shiro!” Lotor gasped and came, shuddering, his body seizing around Shiro’s cock still inside him. Shiro couldn’t hold it together at that, couldn’t stay steady any longer. He gripped Lotor’s shoulders tight and started thrusting into him hard, out of control in the face of Lotor’s release. Before long he was crying out and jerking, overwhelmed.

Shiro came down slowly, pulling out with a groan. He let himself catch his breath for a minute and then moved back a little, staying braced over Lotor to look down at him. He was feeling impossibly clear-headed, knew exactly what needed to happen for them to move forward from this.

Everything would have to be different.

“Listen to me,” he said quietly. “You’re done. Done with quintessence, with the rift- all of it. It’s over. You’re never going back into the quintessence field again.”

Lotor inhaled sharply and looked up at him. “You don’t understand-”

“No- I understand perfectly. Quintessence is _life energy_ , Lotor- not jet fuel. The rift is not a source of unlimited free power, it’s the space between all universes, the realm that connects all worlds. Do you really think you can just- _mine_ it and everything will be fine? And even if you could, can you imagine what would happen if that technology fell into the wrong hands? Think about what someone like Sendak would do with that kind of power. This path is too dangerous- you have to _stop_.”

“Shiro-”

“No!” Shiro said, sitting back. “You’re not listening to me. You’re done, _finished_. You’re not an exiled prince anymore. You have everything now- me, your generals, Sincline. You’re the fucking Emperor!”

Shiro paused, breathing heavily. “It’s time to re-evaluate your goals, your methods. You don’t have to scheme and hide and look for loopholes anymore- you can be direct. You don’t have to bring the Galra to you with the promise of unlimited quintessence as if you’re offering candy to naughty children. You have an armada at your disposal- _use it._ If they won’t kneel- _destroy them_.”

Lotor shuddered and closed his eyes. “Alright,” he said quietly. “Alright. I’ll do as you say. But I have to go back into the quintessence field just once more-”

“I said _no_ ,” Shiro gritted out, frustrated and needing desperately to get through to him. “Once will turn into twice, three times, more, and then it will devour you. Do you understand? You’re already on the edge, if you keep pursuing this you’ll lose more and more of yourself, until you’re just like Haggar.”

“I’m nothing like her!” Lotor jerked, trying to scramble away from him but Shiro grabbed his wrists to keep him pinned to the bed, trapped.

“Aren’t you?” he asked quietly. “Look at what you’ve _done_ , Lotor. You’re more like her than you want to admit.” He was being cruel now but Lotor needed to hear it, maybe it would be enough to wake him up to the truth.

“I can heal them, Shiro. With the quintessence from the rift I can-”

“Those Alteans are _dead_. You killed them as soon as you took them. You’re holding on to them because you think you can erase what you’ve done, but _you made that choice_ and you can’t take it back. You can’t fix this. You can only move forward.”

Lotor gasped, eyes wide with shock and full of unshed tears. Shiro’s heart ached at the sight and he knew there was nothing more he could say.

Shiro sighed and let go of him, sitting back to run a hand through his hair nervously.

“Promise me- _promise me_ you won’t go back.”

Lotor shut his eyes, breathing hard. Shiro drank in the sight of him, naked with his legs splayed wide, still draped over Shiro’s thighs. He was so beautiful, Shiro wanted him so badly even now, after everything. His chest was heaving as he fought to catch his breath, his white hair messy over the sheets. He wasn’t looking at Shiro, and Shiro didn’t know how to interpret the expression on his face. What if he refused? Shiro didn’t know what he’d do. He needed Lotor to say yes.

“Promise me,” he whispered, voice shaking with desperation.

“I promise,” Lotor said quietly.

Shiro’s eyes widened in shock. “If you’re lying to me,” he said slowly, “we’re done. Do you understand? If you go back even once, we’re done for good.”

“I’ve never lied to you, Shiro,” Lotor said with a small sad smile.

Shiro was shaking with relief as he bent to kiss Lotor until they were both gasping. “Thank you,” he said and finally let himself fall into the sheets beside him.

“Fuck, I could use a drink,” he muttered. It was all suddenly too much, how did he even end up here? How was it possible that a scant two years ago his main worries had been paying the bills and remembering to file his flight logs on time?

“Let me,” Lotor said, rising and walking over to the bar on shaking legs. He came back with two glasses of strong Galra whiskey and sat on the edge of the bed, handing one over. Shiro took a deep grateful gulp.

“Thank you, Shiro,” Lotor said. “For everything.”

Shiro managed a small smile, mind already racing with what they’d have to do next. They’d have to deal with the colony, deal with Voltron. Shit. But they could handle it, Shiro could. He’d let them cool down a while and then he’d talk to Keith, make him understand somehow. It would be hard, but surely they’d care more about peace throughout the universe than avenging centuries-old wrongs?

He took another drink, already feeling a little sleepy. He was surprised at that, he’d thought he was too keyed up to sleep any time soon.

Lotor watched him oddly, his eyes dark and unreadable. Shiro was starting to feel very strange, his limbs suddenly impossibly heavy. His hand dropped and Lotor moved to take his glass before it could spill.

“What did you do?” Shiro demanded but it was getting harder and harder to keep his eyes open.

Lotor set the whiskey down before turning back toward him and pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

“Goodbye, Shiro,” he said quietly. “I love you too.”

“No-” Shiro gasped, but that was all he had the strength for. The last thing he saw before he was dragged kicking and screaming into unconsciousness was Lotor, looking sadly down at him.

 

* * *

 

Shiro opened his eyes to darkness. His mouth was dry and his head was pounding. Why was it so dark? He flailed around and was unsurprised to find the bed empty and cold beside him.

“ _Fuck_ ,” he hissed and gasped as his headache spiked briefly into agony. He forced himself to sit up, activating his Sincline arm to throw light into the room. The surge of power wiped his headache away in an instant, leaving him suddenly clear-headed. For once there was no answering surge from the ships, and-

“Fuck!” Shiro yelled. The ships were gone.

“Dammit, Lotor,” he muttered as he struggled into his armor as quickly as he could. He was going to rip him a new one, him and whichever of the generals had been stupid enough to go with him.

He grabbed his helmet before stepping out into the hall, dark except for flashing emergency lights. A group of technicians ran past and Shiro called out to them but they didn’t stop. What the hell? He paused and pressed a hand to the wall, shocked at the uncharacteristic stillness. Even when they weren’t moving the command ship vibrated faintly in tune with the engines, there was always the hushed background roar of machinery working somewhere far away, the metal hull conducting and diffusing the sound until the ship became something almost alive.

Now there was nothing.

“Fuck,” Shiro spit out and turned to run towards the bridge. At least someone there would be able to tell him what was going on.

He turned a corner and practically barreled into Ezor, catching her by the shoulders to steady the both of them.

“You’re here!” Ezor gasped out, panting. “We tried calling you for vargas but you didn’t answer- we thought maybe you went with him.”

“He drugged me, I think,” Shiro said. “I don’t know. What’s going on?”

“We don’t know,” Ezor said nervously. “Acxa tried to stop him, but he did something to the ship. I guess so we couldn’t follow? The entire fleet is grounded. He took Sincline.”

“Who’s with him?” Shiro demanded. From the sound of it, it could only be Narti and Zethrid, but that didn’t make any sense.

“No one,” Ezor said, wide-eyed in the darkness. “He took all three ships, and they- I dunno. Transformed into something like a- like Voltron.”

Shiro cursed. He should have known, he should have just-

“What about the fighters? Are they operational? We can go after him-”

“We can’t get the hangar open without power, Acxa and Zethrid are down there trying to perform a manual override but it’s jammed or something. Narti’s with the technicians trying to restart the core-”

“Take me to Acxa,” Shiro demanded. He didn’t know anything about the systems powering the ship, but if there was one thing he’d be good at it would be tearing things apart- especially with the way he was feeling now.

“Shiro!” Acxa called out to him when they’d made it down to the hangar.

“How can I help?” he asked, a little breathless.

“You can rip open the hull,” Zethrid said without even a hint of joy.

“Yeah,” Shiro said, already looking to try and figure out the best way to go about it. “The hangar will depressurize, you should all leave.”

“I’m coming with you,” Acxa said in a tone of voice that allowed no argument.

“Fine, get in a fighter. The rest of you-”

“Yeah,” Zethrid said, taking Ezor’s hand before they left, sealing the hangar behind them.

“You know where he went?” Acxa asked as she put on her helmet and climbed up into the closest fighter.

“I have an idea,” Shiro muttered, anger and anxiety washing over him in waves. Lotor had _promised_. But it didn’t matter now. The only thing that mattered was getting him back. “This is going to be chaos, hold tight.”

“Copy,” Acxa said as she started her fighter’s ignition sequence.

Shiro prayed his suit would protect him from the explosive depressurization that was about to happen and activated his Sincline arm, taking a deep breath before plunging it through the hull of the ship and ripping the hangar door open in one sudden motion.

He yelled and shielded his head with his arms as he and the rest of the contents of the hangar were violently sucked out into space. He was breathing hard, spinning uncontrollably for a few sick moments, but then he shut his eyes and activated his thrusters, steadying himself until he was drifting slowly. He panted as he tried to catch his breath.

One of the fighters, Acxa’s, was active and waiting while the others had been flung outwards, drifting away impossibly fast. Shiro cursed, he hadn’t thought he’d need to go _catch_ one- but Acxa activated her tractor beam and pulled a ship back for him.

“You alright?” she asked over the comms.

“Fine,” Shiro said, flying over to the fighter. He could practically hear the seconds ticking past, was suddenly impossibly restless. What if it was already too late?

He input the coordinates for Daibazaal and forced himself to wait as the engines cycled up completely before hitting the throttle. It took the better part of a day to reach it, and as the hours wore on Shiro’s fear and anxiety faded away into cold emptiness. It was too late. He knew it was, but he couldn’t stop.

Acxa gasped into the comms when they reached the coordinates and Shiro cursed.

“It was here! It was right here!” he yelled.

But there was nothing- no gate, no Daibazaal, not even a scrap of debris.

Shiro dropped his head back against the headrest and stared, wide-eyed, at the nothing before them. How could it be possible?

Despair took him over completely, a heavy feeling that started in his gut and spread through his entire body until he was dizzy, sick with it. And then he felt something different, a strange energy coursing through his arm like he’d never experienced before, faint and thrumming, like Sincline was calling out to him. But from where?

He shut down his fighter and threw open the canopy, drifting out into space.

“What are you doing?” Acxa demanded, panicked.

“I’m getting him back,” Shiro said firmly.

The feeling was stronger now that he was outside the fighter and he grasped at it, trying to strengthen the connection. Where was it coming from? There was nothing here, and yet-

The glow from his arm spread to encompass his entire body. He didn’t know what he was doing, he was acting on pure instinct as he found that thin thread connecting him to Sincline and _pulled_. He heard a pop, a rushing in his ears, and then he gasped as he found himself inside a strange realm full of light.

The rift? It had to be.

Energy rushed into and through him, leaving him breathless. He could hear sibilant whispering all around him promising unlimited power, anything he wanted. But he pushed the whispers back; he only wanted one thing. _Lotor_.

He glanced around wildly until he saw a dark speck amongst the white and activated his thrusters, hurtling towards it. Time seemed both to slow and speed up, the dark shadow wasn’t getting any closer and then suddenly he was right in front of it, a robot somewhat like Voltron but more elegant, with smoother lines. If he looked close he could recognize parts of the Sincline ships in its limbs. This was it.

It floated dead in the blinding white space, revolving slowly. Shiro didn’t waste any more time as he flew closer, trying to find a way inside. There was a hatch at the back and it opened for him when he pressed his right palm against it. It took him a long time, too long, to find his way to the cockpit, and then he nearly choked when he saw Lotor slumped in the pilot’s seat.

His helmet was gone, his hair wild. There were marks on his face like scars and his eyes seemed to glow from behind his closed eyelids.

“Lotor,” Shiro gasped, pulling closer. For a second he thought Lotor was dead, but then he caught sight of the faint rise and fall of his chest.

“Lotor!” Shiro yelled, shaking him by the shoulders.

Lotor groaned quietly before slowly opening his eyes- glowing a pure white now, like the energy of the rift. He stared forward sightlessly and Shiro wondered if he even knew where he was, or if he’d lost his mind completely after whatever he’d experienced here.

“Shiro?” Lotor asked weakly, brows furrowing. He sighed and closed his eyes again. “You’re not here,” he breathed out.

“I’m here,” Shiro said, looking around until he spotted Lotor’s helmet laying abandoned on the floor and grabbed it. “Come on, we have to get out of here.”

“I went back,” Lotor said. “I knew what I was doing. I _knew-_ you said- you said you’d want nothing to do with me.”

“I guess we’re both liars now,” Shiro said as he moved to pull Lotor’s hair back, trying to tuck it up out of the way so he could put Lotor’s helmet back on. “Come here,” he said, pulling Lotor out of the pilot’s seat and into his arms. “Hold on.”

Lotor wrapped his arms weakly around Shiro’s shoulders, shivering faintly. His heartbeat was weak, his breath coming slower. They had to leave, _now_.

The whispering was stronger, its promises dark and dangerous, but they fell on deaf ears. Shiro already had everything he wanted.

“I’ve got you,” he breathed out, “hold on.” Shiro focused on the energy flowing through his arm, throbbing insistently like a warning.

He heard a faint pop, a rushing through his ears, and then they were enveloped in comforting darkness.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title is taken from the following song:
> 
> L'ultimo Uomo by Museo Rosenbach~  
> Volto di luce  
> Mi hanno parlato di te  
> La tua storia e' nell'eco dei monti  
> Troppo in alto per scendere in noi  
> Nel tuo eterno cammino quello che insegui non c'e';  
> Senza un fine puo' esistere la vita. si completa nell'arco di un giorno  
> Misera ombra, vuoto riflesso dell'io  
> Non ti serve capire la forza che mi spinge a cercare nel mondo  
> Chiara essenza divina gia' si nasconde in chi  
> Sta vivendo il gioco del tempo nell'attesa di un'alba diversa
> 
> ~~~
> 
> Face of light  
> They told me about you  
> Your story is in the echo of the mountains  
> Too high to get down into us  
> In your eternal journey what you are chasing is not there;  
> Without life, life can exist without an end. it is completed within a day  
> It has a shadow, an empty reflection of the self  
> You do not need to understand the force that drives me to look in the world  
> Clear divine essence already hides in whom  
> He is living the game of time waiting for a different dawn


	12. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow... I can't believe it's over ;_; 
> 
> Thank you to my lovely beta [Lutz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lutz/pseuds/lutz)\- I can't say enough about how much it meant to have you on my side, thank you for helping me iron this monster out into something amazing <3

 

* * *

 

 

“The zeiforge cannons are almost in position!” Coran’s voice rang out desperately through the comms and Keith grit his teeth, trying to force his Lion to move faster as he ripped up one of the cannons with the jaw blade.

Allura and Lance had just taken one down, and Hunk and Pidge were close on another, but that still left too many.

They weren’t going to make it, there was no way. There was a flashing alarm on his console but he didn’t have _time_ \- he needed to focus, hurry- 

“Uh-oh,” Coran muttered. 

“What _now_!” Keith forced out. The cannon he’d been working on shook with a series of  explosions and started drifting out of position but that still left three-

“We’ve got incoming! More Galra ships in three- two- one-”

Keith gasped, momentarily distracted as he saw the armada warp into Earth’s orbit, and at the head of it all- Zarkon’s command ship.

“How-” Allura breathed over the comms, but then the command ship opened fire.

The zeiforge cannons exploded before the newcomers launched a swarm of fighters as dozens of cruisers turned on Sendak’s fleet.

Sendak’s ships raised their particle barriers and started preparing to jump away but Zarkon’s ship let out some kind of targeted pulse, shutting them down in their tracks. The next few minutes were pure carnage as the newcomers systematically destroyed every single ship in Sendak’s fleet down to the last fighter.

It was over just as impossibly fast as it had begun and Keith stared, wide-eyed, at the thick cloud of debris floating through space. There was an incoming transmission and he hit the console slowly to hear it.

_People of Earth-_

Keith shut his eyes, shuddering at the familiar voice.

_This is Takashi Shirogane, High Commander of the Imperial Galra Armada._

_I am here to offer you my protection. Send your leaders and the Voltron Paladins to negotiate terms. You have one hour._

The comms exploded into chaos as the other Paladins and the officers on the Atlas suddenly broke out in shocked conversation. Keith yanked off his helmet, trying to catch his breath.

 

* * *

 

The desert wind ruffled Keith’s hair as he stood beside the other Paladins. Admiral Sanda and a few other Garrison officers stood before them while the Lions were arranged in a semi-circle behind. He squinted to watch the five Galra fighters descending out of the sky. He licked his suddenly dry lips as they landed and the cockpits opened.

Shiro jumped down to the ground, followed by Acxa, Narti, Ezor, and Zethrid. The suits they wore were sleek and pure black, unmarked by Lotor’s characteristic orange and blue as Keith had expected. Shiro and his generals- and Keith had no doubt they were his generals now- stepped forward but Keith couldn’t draw his eyes away from his former mentor, his friend.

His hair was cut back into something like the style he used to wear back in his Garrison days but it was pure white now. He seemed gaunt and yet- bigger, his shoulders wider. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his eyes- Keith didn’t think he was imagining the way Shiro’s irises were glowing even under the bright sunlight.

They stopped a generous distance away as Shiro ran his gaze over the people assembled before him, pausing briefly on Keith in a way that made him gasp.

“Shiro-” Keith breathed out, stepping forward. They hadn’t exactly left on good terms, but it was _Shiro._ “What are you talking about? _Negotiations_? Earth is your home!”

“Keith,” Shiro said, smiling a little. “Earth is my homeworld, but it’s one planet. I have fifty-two sectors under my protection, over a hundred planets, billions of people. If I have to divert my ships to patrol this out of the way sector I’ll be putting the others at risk. I don’t think it’s unfair to ask for something in return, do you?”

“What are your terms, High Commander?” Admiral Sanda asked stiffly.

Shiro was still smiling that odd smile as he ran his eyes over the Paladins. “There’s only one thing I want from you,” he said, and Keith felt his heart sinking.

“Shiro- no,” he breathed out.

“I want the Lions.”

“ _No_ ,” Allura said, stepping forward.

“Don’t do this, Shiro,” Keith said.

“Wait-” Admiral Sanda said. “Maybe we should consider this. Captain Shirogane-” she broke off awkwardly. “Forgive me- High Commander Shirogane- is offering a generous trade. The Lions have brought us nothing but trouble-”

“No!” Allura burst out. “The Lions are _ours_ , our destiny!”

“Your destiny?” Shiro asked quietly and laughed. “Tell me, Princess- what have you done with the power at your disposal? What have _any_ of you done?” He stared at them, suddenly serious.

“When the universe most needed Voltron, your father hid it away, leaving Zarkon’s expansion unopposed for ten thousand years. We’ve both been to the alternate dimension- we both know things could have turned out differently, know how much bloodshed could have been averted.”

Shiro paused, staring at Allura with something cold and brittle in his gaze. “But aside from your father- what have _you_ done?”

“We helped people! We liberated entire planets from Galra occupation!” Allura bit out.

“They were the first to fall when the Empire fractured,” Shiro said slowly. “All the people you thought you helped are long dead. You’re children, and you’ve acted like children. You ran around wildly sowing chaos throughout the universe, doing more harm than good. But what else could be expected from children? You may not see it my way yet, but you will soon. I’m here to help you, despite what you may think.”

“Stop it, Shiro!” Keith exclaimed, shaking. “Shiro- _please_!”

“I’ll make my offer one more time,” Shiro said calmly, barely even looking at him. “Give me the Lions, and I will personally make sure you’ll never need them again.”

“No,” Allura hissed, her hands balled into fists.

“Very well,” Shiro said and raised his hand.

Narti and Ezor moved impossibly fast, throwing some kind of devices into the sand, and before anyone could react the human delegation was enveloped in a purple dome of energy.

“I asked only as a courtesy,” Shiro said. “I intend to take the Lions with or without your permission.”

“You can’t!” Allura yelled. “They _chose_ us! They won’t respond to you!”

Shiro seemed suddenly sad as he looked at them with his oddly-glowing gray eyes. “The Lions are like everything else in the universe,” he said quietly. “They respond to strength.”

He and his generals walked past the dome, striding over to the Lions. Shiro was the first to step before the Black Lion, looking up at it quietly for a moment before he pressed his right hand to one of its claws.

There was a sound like a bell ringing, though it was more feeling than sound, and Allura cried out and fell to her knees, pressing her hands to her ears.

“Shiro- what are you doing!” Keith yelled, trying to get as close to him as the forcefield would allow.

Shiro didn’t answer, he had his eyes closed while he was doing- whatever he was doing. The Black Lion shuddered and lay down before him, its head tucked down into the sand.

“Shiro!” Keith screamed, and suddenly the desert was gone. He was standing in a barren dreamscape, purple clouds floating through the sky impossibly high above them. The other lions were there too, and so were Shiro’s generals, though they seemed far away.

Keith ran forward to grab Shiro by the arm, trying to pull him away from Black.

“Shiro!” he gasped out, tears streaming down his face. “You don’t have to do this,” he forced out, “please, Shiro!”

Shiro turned towards him and by some cruel twist of fate he looked exactly as he had when they’d first met- impossibly young and fresh-faced, dark haired.

“Keith,” he said quietly and pulled Keith into his arms.

“Shiro- this isn’t you,” Keith sobbed into his chest. “Please- you can’t-”

“Oh, Keith,” he said, fingers tightening over his back. “It is me. It’s me. I’m not trying to hurt you, don’t you see?”

Out of the corner of his eye Keith saw Zethrid pressing her hand to the Yellow Lion before they both disappeared from the dreamscape. Narti and Green were next, and then Ezor and Blue.

“Keith, don’t think of it as me taking something away. I’m giving you a gift- I’m giving you your life back. You should never have been asked to carry this burden- let me take it from your shoulders.”

“Shiro, this isn’t right,” Keith gasped out.

“Let go, Keith,” Shiro whispered. “You don’t have to fight any more.”

And then Acxa was touching the Red Lion and Keith woke shuddering and gasping on the sand, his connection to his Lion suddenly broken.

The Black Lion roared like he’d never heard it roar before, the others sitting up to echo the call. Keith could only stare, tears leaking from his eyes, as he watched Shiro walk up the stairs into the cockpit, and then the forcefield was fading and the lions were gone.

  


_fin._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Next Up: The Fall - The Rise**
> 
>  
> 
> If you've enjoyed this fic, you may enjoy the prequel I'll be posting soon! The first 4 chapters work as a stand-alone fic for how Lotor found all his generals, and the epilogue contains a brief scene set between chapter XI and the epilogue.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr at [barbitone](http://barbitone.tumblr.com/) \- NSFW art at [barbitone-afterdark](https://barbitone-afterdark.tumblr.com/)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [The Fall - The Rise](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16625075) by [barbitone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/barbitone/pseuds/barbitone)
  * [Living the Game of Time](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16817830) by [barbitone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/barbitone/pseuds/barbitone)




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